NBC 10's Art Lake, a broadcast pioneer in RI, dies at 85
2:16 PM Sun, Nov 22, 2009 | Permalink
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SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- One of Channel 10's original newscasters passed away early Sunday morning. Arthur E. Lake, known as Art Lake to just about everyone, died surrounded by his family. The legendary WJAR Channel 10 anchor and weatherman was 85. He lived in Greenville. "Like Del's Lemonade, coffee milk and the Big Blue Bug, he has become a state institution," Providence Journal reporter Andy Smith wrote in 2004, which was Lake's 60th year on Rhode Island's airwaves. "Art's been a part of the fabric of local broadcasting for generations of Southern New Englanders," said longtime friend and colleague Frank Coletta in a news release Sunday from NBC. "Growing up in West Warwick, I watched Art on the air in the '50s and '60s, and his work was a significant part of my inspiration for my chosen career. His expertise and guidance helped all of us here at Channel 10. I raise my coffee cup in salute to him and thank him for all he has done for me." For his decades-long career in the broadcast industry, Lake was inducted into the New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Gold and Silver Circles. It was the teachers at Braintree High School, Lake's alma mater, who first encouraged Lake to pursue a radio career because they were impressed with his smooth voice. Lake got his first station gig in April 1944 while studying radio at Emerson College in Boston. On WJAR radio, he was a deejay for his weekday show, Music for the Mrs., and an announcer for the morning show, Breakfast Tray. The TV station WJAR arrived in July 1949 and the first newscasts were anchored by Lake and Russ Van Arsdale. In those days, Lake told The Providence Journal in 2004, he and Van Arsdale had to drink Knickerbocker Beer, one of the station's sponsors, throughout the show. They stopped because they were burping through the broadcast. Lake transitioned to forecaster after being disappointed with the weather report's accuracy. "I would read this glorious forecast about sunny days and mild temperatures, and I'd pack the station wagon and leave early in the morning for the beach with the kids and the wife, and then sit in fog for the rest of the day," Lake said in a Channel 10 documentary. And he was around for some of the state's biggest weather events: water was up to the seats in his car during Hurricane Carol in 1954 and he worked the morning of the Blizzard of '78 when a station van was stuck at the State House. He partnered with Coletta on the morning Sunrise show in 1985 and one of his last duties for the station was reading the "First Birthdays" feature on Sunrise. He retired about three years ago. Lake is survived by his wife, Alicia, known as Ali to most, whom he met on a blind date in 1948, and their three adult sons. WJAR said the funeral will be private. 
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SORRY TO HERE ABOUT THE PASSING OF ART LAKE
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Art will be missed He was and still is awesome
I can still remember many of his broadcasts throughout the years
My sincerest Condolences to his Family
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The loss of Mr. Lake is a loss for RI. Art was a great broadcaster and it was sad to see him leave WJAR. Rest in peace. God bless
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Like Salty Brine, I grew up looking up to Art Lake. His "If you don't like the weather in New England, wait a minute it will change." has been echoed time and time again and has even been attributed to a couple of other meteorologists but he was the first to use that tag line.
My sympathies to his family both at home and at the WJAR studios. I will always think of him fondly.
Steve Micke
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HE WILL BE MISSED BY ME AND MY FAMILY AND BY MANY MANY OTHERS,,,,,I ENJOYED WATCHING ART WHEN HE RETIRED I STOPPED WATCHING THE NEWS ITS NOT THE SAME NOR WOULD IT EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN REST IN PEACE ART AND THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL YEARS I ENJOYED WATCHING YOU,,,,,,,,,
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Thank you Art Lake. R.I.P.
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Though I'm from the Boston area I came to enjoy Art anytime I was in Rhode Island and had the chance to catch the news. Spent a few weeks in Newport each year and always enjoyed the broadcast. He had more fans than he probably ever realized. Rest in Peace.
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Walter and Arthur..........Salty and Art, thank you.
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Art Lake was a part of my life since I was a kid. I remember watching channel 10 (always) in the kitchen on the black and white with rabbit ears. The news was on, but it seemed like the weather was most important. I miss Art Lake on the sunrise show with Frank Coletta. God Bless you Art Lake.
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