Photo-Arizona PBS
Palo Verde, Evan Mecham’s impeachment, Fife Symington’s trial, Colorado City; Michael Grant made an art out of handling combustible topics with an even hand and a calming demeanor as the host of Channel 8’s Horizon from 1981 to 2007. His death on July 15th at the age of 72 reminds longtime Arizonans of the indelible mark he made on the state.
Through studious research and probing interviews, he was able to dissect stories large and small with little or no bias. Like any reporter, he had opinions, but he kept them in his breast pocket as opposed to wearing them on his sleeve. Grant’s successor, Ted Simons, has managed to continue that legacy of fair reporting without bombast or gimmicks.
The remarkable thing about Grant was that hosting Horizon was a side hustle. Grant was a full-time attorney and a darn good one. After spending the day practicing law, he would enter the Channel 8 studios and host Horizon.
Grant’s ability to burn the candle at both ends goes back to his college days. While attending law school he also worked as a DJ and reporter for Phoenix’s legendary KOY radio.
While Grant was certainly a fair journalist and host, he was no pushover. Thanks to his dedication to researching topics, as well as a stellar support staff, Grant was able to ask probing questions and made sure he and his viewers were getting honest and accurate answers. His training as a lawyer kicked in when some interviews warranted additional scrutiny.
Remembering Michael Grant should not be construed as an exercise in romanticizing the good old days of Arizona broadcast journalism. To be honest there has always been some degree of hyperbole, questionable stories, and media bias in Arizona in the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. But not on Grant’s watch.
Like any good reporter he understood that the viewer’s attention should be focused on the people and issues making the news, not the person reading the news.