Yuhnke Commentary: The sun isn't up, but we are! Going on-air at 4:30am

PHOENIX - If you’ve ever been awake really early or stayed up way too late, you may have noticed that our morning newscast starts at 4:30am. Yeah, you read that right, 4:30AM! 

Long before the sun comes up and long before most people roll out of bed. The question I get asked most is, “how the heck do you do that?” So, I thought it would be fun to explain exactly how it all happens. The ins and outs of putting together a newscast that starts before most people open an eyelid.

“EHHH EHHH EHHH EHHH EHH!!!!”

That’s the sound I hear at 2 a.m. The sound my wife tries to ignore. The alarm goes off and I jump out of bed. Some people like to spend a good hour getting ready before they leave the house. That would be ideal but when you live 30 minutes away and have to walk in the door at 3 a.m., it’s simply not an option. A quick shower and shave, throw on some clothes and I’m on the road.

When I walk in the door at 3 a.m., there is a team of producers who have been working for hours to prepare the morning newscast. Some of them arrive the night before at 11 p.m., others start in the wee hours of the morning. Nonetheless, they’ve been busy tracking the news around the world and in the Valley. Personally, I need about 5 minutes to wrap my head around the day and basically wake up. Then we all get together and “pow wow” about the big stories of the day and how the producers envision the morning newscast.

After that, it’s reading time. I like to read every script that I’ll be reading on the news out loud. It’s an odd sight for anyone who hasn’t worked in a newsroom but it helps me catch things that look good on the computer screen but don’t sound right aloud. There are random moments of story discussions, questions about certain stories as well as decisions on developing stories and how we’re going to cover them. You'll often hear a random, "How the heck do you pronounce this?" It’s an amazing, quirky, fun process that I love being a part of.

At about 4 a.m., I head into the make-up room to slap some mud on my face. There... I said it... I wear make-up. Happy now?

4:30 a.m., lights, camera, action. The newscast begins but the process continues. My role as a breaking news anchor in the morning means I work hand in hand with our producers all morning to track down new stories, confirm breaking news and follow developing stories. The newscast is always adapting as new information, video and interviews roll in.  

The newscast ends at 7 a.m.  So, essentially, my “lunch” time is about the time most people are leaving for work. Weird, right? I work on various news stories and projects the rest of the morning and leave at about noon. I take a mid-afternoon nap, enjoy some relaxing time with the family and then do it all over again.

Truth is, I don’t think anyone ever gets used to waking up when the bars close. It’s simply not natural.  I think we adapt. Nonetheless, it’s a privilege to be able to be part of a unique process that helps so many people in the valley start their morning with information that will lead them through the day.

If you're up early, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter . I'm always posting pics and updates before the sun comes up.