Hugh Hill
Monday, Oct 21, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I grew up watching Hugh Hill on Channel 7. I had the opportunity to meet him when I first started out in the early 1990s. He did not disappoint. He asked pointed questions and often seemed to know more about what was going on behind the scenes than many of the reporters who worked the Statehouse full time, even with his occasional pre-broadcast naps in the pressroom kitchen.
Robert Feder has a great obit…
They don’t make reporters like Hugh Hill anymore.
A giant of Chicago journalism for 43 years, he practically invented the role of political reporter on local television news and played it longer and with more gusto than anyone.
Hill, who died Friday at 89, interviewed every U.S. president from Truman to Clinton and covered every Chicago mayor from Daley to Daley. His in-your-face style of interrogation and remarkable institutional memory made him a legend.
* Feder also ran some excerpts from a 1988 interview…
On the key to his success: “I get by because I know what I’m talking about. It’s been my life. I love the business of television news. I think knowledge is power in journalism as well as any other line. If you know more than the next guy, you’re better off, and you’re worth a lot more to the station or to the newspaper you’re working for, And I have more knowledge about the field of politics than anybody in journalism in Chicago. I have an uncanny memory and can remember a lot of things. And I do a hell of a lot of research and a lot of reading. I mean, I work hard.” […]
On working in a young person’s business: ”If there were something I could do that’s as much fun as broadcasting, then I’d go and retire to it. But there is no such thing. This is more fun than I could ever possibly hope for. Sure, it’s a job and you make good money. But I do it because I love it and I wouldn’t ever want to do anything else. It’s very, very tiring and exhausting physically. But mentally, it’s great. It’s an exercise in real journalism. It’s the essence of broadcast journalism.”
In most cities, TV news has always been little more than fluff. Chicago is different, particularly when I was growing up. My parents were always bemused at my fascination with Chicago TV news when I was still in grade school, but I think I recognized then how solid those broadcasts were. Fahey Flynn and Joel Daley were outstanding anchors, and I watched them whenever I could.
But Hugh Hill and Dick Kay (over at Channel 5) made an indelible mark on my young self. I once told that to Dick, but I was always a little intimidated by Hill, so I never got around to telling him what he meant to me growing up. I’m sorry for that now, but it just goes to show you what kind of man he was. People trembled in his wake.
He stomped on the terra.
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 10:22 am:
It’s too bad you didn’t talk to the old redhead. He was a genuinely nice guy to this once young, dumb reporter. Some TV reporters are Hollywood, but he was old-school Chicago.
I had to laugh reading Feder’s interview where Hugh talked about always asking the first question, loudly. You better believe he did.
- And I Approved This Message - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 10:31 am:
I first encountered Hugh Hill in the mid-1980’s when I was a press person on a statewide campaign. He was affectionately known as Agent Orange for the color of his hair (and sometimes his face.) He scared the hell out of me. After many exchanges when he constantly yelled at me I decided to yell back. He loved it. We got along quite well after that. But he still scared me!
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 10:37 am:
I was a huge fan of “Channel 7 … EYE-wintess News.”
Hugh Hill, for me, was someone that had complete presence on the screen and demanded the attention, because you knew what Hugh gave you was more than where you would be getting elsewhere.
Hugh Hill also seemed to be unimpressed, a skeptic, and if the answer given didn’t “impress” Hugh Hill, he would call them all on it. Don’t try to buffalo Hill either, Hugh knew the backstory, and the way the respondednt answered, would dictate how heavy of a hammer that backstory was going to be in the final report.
I loved that.
The reporting itself was real, and not “produced” to have a segment fit a 5-6 minute window. They were good. It was hard news, gruff, and dirty, and raw, and Hill was in his element.
If there is a story to be told, and a backstory to either refute or to strenghen that report, we got it, and Chicagoland was better for it. As Chicago, and Illinois gets the snarky reports and “gotcha” quotes or soundbites, Hugh Hill made sure, as best he could, to give the clearest of pictures, from as many angles as possible, and all the possible outcomes to help us all understand the real story, and more importantly why … it was news.
I miss that Channel 7 News Team. Sometimes, all the “smart boards” and 3D graphics, and HD cameras never catch the raw, the real, or the thruth, like a Hugh Hill, treanchcoat and all.
- Springfield Cameraman - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 10:56 am:
I was a teenage camera operator and met Hugh Hill in 1977. His loud voice resonated through any press conference and Dick Kay added to the mix. This was real television and Chicago stations sent entire teams of reporters, camera, sound mixers, producers and even makeup staff to go live from Springfield.
One particular story is my favorite. Back in the day there was no satellite truck to feed with. The only way to go live was with a video circuit provided by Illinois Bell telephone. Hugh was ready to go live and was told Chicago could not hear him. He waved madly and they saw him but no sound. A union technician looked at Hill and asked if anybody ordered the audio loop for sound? The answer was no and Hill could be heard over the House floor debate. His comments are unprintable, but I will always remember that day and the man who said, kid your standing in my live shot.
- independent - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 11:00 am:
Dick Kay has a radio show on Saturdays at 1 on Chicago Progressive talk radio. Its good to hear him still going.
- A guy... - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 11:02 am:
Not to be a smartie, but you have a typo with regards to Joel Daly, not John.
Regarding Hugh Hill, he was actually a good community guy in Naperville too. He was the MC of their Sesquicentennial over 35 years ago, which was oddly celebrated in Oak Brook at the former Sheraton, now Marriott Hotel. Back in those days, Naperville didn’t have a place big enough- Circa 1977 or so. What I remember most is that Hugh had a broadcaster voice even in normal conversations. It’s hard to imagine being able to tell him a secret. He had a regular habit of repeating what you just told him in a volume that everyone in the room could hear. Too many live reports where he was on the street I suppose. He really didn’t let people get away with not answering questions. I remember one Chicago pol complaining when Andy Shaw was sent to cover his election. “Where’s Hugh Hill?” he asked Shaw. If Hugh wasn’t covering it, you weren’t the top story.
- Weltschmerz - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 11:37 am:
I also got to meet him briefly, many years ago. I was with a fairly heavy pol who never ran for office, but pulled a few strings. He started buttering up Hugh and Hugh responded not unkindly but clearly that he wasn’t buying his BS. I had a lot of respect for him after that.
- door gunner - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 11:45 am:
Now this was more than just a reporter, honest, trustworthy, he had a flair, he could be a lazer. I knew him well and enjoyed him more than ever when he was off duty. i just cant repeat it all,but we wont see the likes of him for a while
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 11:56 am:
don’t forget Len O’Connor on your list
- shore - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 12:06 pm:
To be fair there are still some really good hard news tv journalists in chicago- charles thomas and flannery come to mind, but it’s become really watered down in recent years and too much of it is fluffy.
- Newsclown - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 12:22 pm:
(Re-post due to browser cookie issues)
I Remember working alongside Hill in the 80’s. Yes, “Agent Orange” and “The Great Pumpkin” were nicknames but you didn’t dare call him those to his face. I Grew up watching Hugh on the screen and it was an experience seeing him in the flesh at work. I have to say though that at least towards the end of his career, his famous short fuse got a lot shorter, and he went thru a LOT of cameramen in a short time. I eventually twigged to the fact that pitching a fit, or threatening to, was how Hugh managed most transactions and that I shouldn’t take it personally. What I can say is he didn’t mind asking hard or even regular questions, given the opportunity, and today, we see much less of that. The passive nature of reporters at contemporary pressers often confounds me. Either they must be intimidated, or afraid to harm their access by being confrontational. Love him or not, Hill always had the guts to just ask the question straight-up, and tell you if you were not being responsive.
Makes me wonder where Kelly Smith is these days, just a little bit.
- anon sequitor - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 12:46 pm:
I too had some young reporter encounters with Mr. Hill. But once you broke through that tough exterior he was a nice guy. Where that pol knew that if Hugh wasn’t covering a story back in the day, it wasn’t a major story…as a reporter you knew you had arrived when Hugh Hill would walk up to you and say “Give me a fill!” on any story you were covering.
- Just The Way It Is One - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 7:23 pm:
Yep, Hugh was a Chicago Treasure, for sure. Not ever having met him, even his hard-nosed Reporting TV style made you feel as a kid like he was all-business all of the time and might just scare the “BeJesus” out of you if he said “Boo!”
And as for Fahey Flynn and Joel Daley–now what a great ABC Channel 7 Newcast THAT was!! Ya just had to love all of those bow ties the ever down-to-earth and sprightly Fahey wore, and Joel (who I did meet) always seemed to be so calm, cool, and collected, and who–although with all of HIS mula obviously didn’t NEED to–went onto IIT-Chicago Kent Law School and earned a J.D. to boot and was quite well-received in the legal community as well…!
Ah, they just don’t make as many of ‘em like that anymore!!!
- tomhail - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 8:05 pm:
Hugh Hill was born and raised in Gillespie, Macoupin county, Illinois
- BehindTheScenes - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 8:38 pm:
Sorry to hear of the passing of Hugh Hill. Knew him, worked in the pressroom when he did. He was always cordial and friendly even to smaller-time downstate locals. Wish I could hear Dick Kay in Springfield. Walter Jacobson (sic) was the WBBM side of the triangle. I don’t remember WGN’s guy. Agree with above… they aren’t making ‘em with that kind of experience any more (or at least aren’t sending them to Springfield.) Those were the days. (Is Kelly still making movies?)
- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 10:11 pm:
Re-reading Feder’s interview with Hill, you realize what a tough and smart SOB he was.
He came up with Richard J., but he wasn’t scared for the city when Harold Washington was elected. He understood what a masterful politician Harold had to be to be the first black mayor of Chicago.
Flannery is the goods now, and has been for years. He’s the best. He just doesn’t get any airtime. Maybe he should shave.
- dr. reason a. goodwin - Monday, Oct 21, 13 @ 11:06 pm:
On the rare occasions that the Chicago press corps would visit the downstate market I worked in, many of them were real a**es. But not Hugh. He was friendly with the local media guys. As a result, I was always happy to give him “a fill.”