Before 41 years of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Pat Sajak started his career at WSMV
Sajak was always the prankster in the newsroom, sometimes even on air, according to former colleagues.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Before Pat Sajak became the longtime host of “Wheel of Fortune,” he was a weather forecaster in Nashville on then-WSM-TV.
Sajak, now 77, came to Nashville in the early 1970s as a DJ at WSM radio and a staff announcer at WSM-TV before becoming a weekend weatherman.
Sajak worked with former WSMV4 Sports Director Rudy Kalis, who joined the station in 1974.
Kalis said Sajak was always the prankster in the newsroom, sometimes even on air.
“On Saturday nights, after we did the news and weather, he would be the booth announcer,” Kalis said. “We had a late night, I think it was Sir Cecil Creape or something, some horror show. Well, during the commercial breaks, they would come back to him. The camera was pointed right at him. Well, he got so tired of doing it because he would have to be here until midnight, that he would sit in his seat and go further and further and further (down),” Kalis said. “So, all of the sudden, all you saw was the top of his head, and he said the reason he did that was just to see if management was watching.”
Sajak’s job application remains framed inside WSMV4 and offers some of that newsroom humor.
The application asked whether he had children. “As few as possible,” he wrote. “Military experience? “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Hair? Yes. Eyes? 2.”
Sajak left WSM in 1977 for a job as a weather reporter in Los Angeles. In 1981, Merv Griffin asked if he would be interested in taking over as host on Wheel of Fortune.
Sajak also hosted a short-lived late-night talk show for just over a year. Former WSMV news anchor Dan Miller, who had moved to Los Angeles, joined him as a sidekick.
After 41 years and more than 8,000 episodes, Sajak’s final turn as host of “Wheel of Fortune” will air on Friday.
Sajak’s co-host and letter-turner Vanna White paid an emotional tribute to her partner on Thursday’s episode, calling him “like a brother” and a “true lifelong friend.” In the pre-recorded video that featured clips and photos of their 41 years as co-workers, she added that their personal friendship has meant even more than their professional collaboration.
White’s heartfelt farewell message for Sajak, in which she was holding back tears, tees Sajak up for what will likely be a memorable finish on Friday’s episode.
Sajak announced in June 2023 that he would retire from his hosting duties at the end of the show’s 41st season, with Ryan Seacrest set to succeed him. White will stay on as Seacrest’s co-host through the 2025-2026 season, based on a contract extension she signed in September.
In a recent interview for “Good Morning America” with Sajak’s daughter Maggie, who serves as the show’s social correspondent, the host said he felt “surprisingly OK” given that he announced his retirement almost a year before his final show.
“I’ve had time to sort of get used to it and it’s been a little bit wistful and all that, but I’m enjoying it and taking it all in and reflecting on a great run,” he said.
Looking back on his time with the popular game show, Sajak said he is grateful for how audiences across the country connected with the show and made it a part of their daily routines.
“Somewhere along the line, we became more than a popular show. We became a part of popular culture, and more importantly, we became a part of people’s lives,” he said. “That’s been awfully gratifying.”
As for what’s next for Sajak – tickets are already on sale to see him star in “Prescription: Murder,” the stage play that inspired the TV series “Columbo,” in Hawaii in 2025.
The Associated Press and TMX contributed to this report.
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