SUPER EXCITED TO BRING THE
STANLEY CUP BACK TO TAMPA.
AND IT IS WITH MIXED
EMOTIONS TONIGHT THAT WE SAY
GOODBYE TO ONE OF THE MOST
TRUSTED REPORTERS EVER TO
APPEAR ON TELEVISION ANYWHERE
OUR SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTER STEVE ANDREWS HAS
DECIDED TO RETIRE WHAT A
CAREER. HE'S HAD HE SPENT MORE
THAN FOR DECADES IN
BROADCASTING AND OF COURSE
MOST OF THAT WITH US HERE AT
WFLA 35 YEARS IN TAMPA. AND
THROUGH THOSE YEARS WE'VE
LEARNED THAT HE IS A GOOD MAN
WHO GAINED YOUR CONFIDENCE AND
HOURS AND WE'RE GOING SING.
THEY COULD THREATEN HIM ONE
THROUGH WITH YOU STEVE, AND
YOU WON'T HAVE A JOB
MCDONALD'S AND IT'S NOT A
THREAT IT'S A PROMISE THEY
COULD TRY TO AVOID HIM RIGHT
NOW.
BUT THOSE WHO BECAME THE
SUBJECT OF A STEVE ANDREWS
INVESTIGATION KNEW IT WAS JUST
A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE STEVE
EXPOSED THEM AND THEIR ALLEGED
WRONGDOING, HE PUT THEIR FEET
TO THE FIRE LIKE NOBODY I'VE
EVER SEEN FRIEND, GAYLE
SARON'S WAS IN THE ANCHOR
CHAIR IN 1985 WHEN STEVE
ARRIVED IN TAMPA HE WAS TOUGH.
BUT HE WAS KIND IS A GOOD
FAMILY MAN WHO LOVES HIS
DAUGHTERS AND HIS WIFE WITH
GREAT PASSION.
IF YOU'RE HIS FRIEND,
YOU'RE A FRIEND FOR LIFE. BUT
AGAIN. AS A JOURNALIST. YOU
DID NOT WANT TO BE ON THE
WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW STEVE
ANDREWS WAS AROUND I READY TO
GO TO PRISON. STEVE HAS BEEN
AROUND WFLA FOR 35 YEARS.
EVERY TIME HE APPEARED ON
TV YOU KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING
YOU NEEDED TO SEIZE MAKE YOU A
TRUSTED VOICE FOR THE
VOICELESS SOMEONE WHO COULD
HOLD THE POWERFUL ACCOUNTABLE
SHEP THE CAMERA STEVE'S
JOURNEY IN JOURNALISM BEGAN IN
1973 ON RADIO IN LEWISTON,
MAINE.
WHERE HE ALSO WORKED
PART-TIME AS A TV REPORTER. HE
AND HIS WIFE PAULA HAD 2
DAUGHTERS THERE BEFORE STEVE'S
PASSION FOR REPORTING. TOOK
THEM TO SAN ANTONIO TEXAS.
WITHIN 2 YEARS. THE FAMILY WAS
ON THE WAY TO TAMPA BAY.
EVERY PAY BACK MONEY THAT
YOU WANT.
THROUGHOUT HIS
EXTRAORDINARY CAREER. STEVE
HAS PROVEN TO BE A TIRELESS
DEFENDER OF THOSE WHO NEEDED
THEIR STORIES TOLD IN RECENT
YEARS HE BECAME AN ADVOCATE
FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE IF I
CAN FIND A STORY WHERE.
YOU KNOW DAVID VERSUS
GOLIATH AND DAVID S NOT
WINNING. THEN MAYBE WE CAN DO
SOMETHING AND HE DID TIME AND
TIME AGAIN STEVE LEVEL THE
PLAYING FIELD IT WAS A LOT OF
WORK BUT IT WAS A LABOR OF
LOVE HE LOVED WHAT HE DID. FOR
THE PAST 22 YEARS STEVE WORKED
ALONGSIDE I TEAM PHOTO
JOURNALIST. GORDON DEMPSEY WE
MIGHT EXPOSE A PROBLEM, BUT
THEN WE WOULD STAY WITH IT
UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO FIND SOME
SORT OF A SOLUTION OR GET SOME
JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS
STEVE'S INNER DRIVE AND
CONVICTION EARNED HIM MULTIPLE
EMMYS AND A LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
WE WILL MISS HIS EXPERTISE
HIS TENACITY HIS FAIRNESS AND
HIS WITTY SENSE OF HUMOR.
PAGING STARTER SCOTT
SENATOR RICK SCOTT THERE CAN
BE NO DOUBT SENIOR
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER STEVE
ANDREWS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN
OUR COMMUNITY. AS HE
TRANSITIONS INTO RETIREMENT.
WE CELEBRATE WITH HIM AND
HONOR HIS ENDURING LEGACY OF
INTEGRITY IN JOURNALISM.
VERY WELL SAID.
IT IS HIS INTEGRITY I MEAN
STEVE ANDREWS IS JUST HE'S A
FRIEND HE WAS THERE WHEN YOU
NEEDED HIM FUNNY LITTLE SIDE
STORY ABOUT STEVE WHEN I FIRST
CAME IN 2000. STEPHEN I DON'T
THINK WE HIT IT OFF RIGHT
AWAY. I'LL BE YOU KNOW KEITH
WHAT I WOULD DO WITH THAT
STORY IS LIKE YOU KNOW DUDE I
DON'T NEED TO HELP FOR ME I
THINK MYSELF DO IT, BUT YOU
KNOW WHAT STEVE IS RIGHT AND I
WOULD ALWAYS GO BACK AND DOCK
ON IT HE WAS RIGHT, YOU KNOW,
HE'S MENTORED A LOT OF PEOPLE
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU DON'T
KNOW ERIN ANDREWS FROM NFL
FOOTBALL DANCING WITH THE
STARS. SHE SAID.
A WELL KNOWN NATIONAL
COMMODITY IS HIS DAUGHTER SHE
ALSO COVERED THE 2004
LIGHTNING WHEN THEY WON THE
CUP THE FIRST TIME AND TONIGHT
SHE HAS A LITTLE TRIBUTE FOR
HER DEATH.
I GOT YOU CONGRATULATIONS
ON YOUR RETIREMENT, IT IS SO
WELL DESERVED WE LOVE YOU SO
MUCH AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO BE
ALL TOGETHER SO WE CAN
CELEBRATE WITH YOU AND HUG AND
KISS YOU WE LOVE YOU.