[4] At age 17, after winning an oratorical contest, Lauderdale received a job offer from the news director at WTVN-TV (ABC) in Columbus.
[2][5] He accepted the job and started work in November 1968, part-time at night, processing film.
He completed his education at Ohio University, majoring in Communications and graduating cum laude in 1973.
[2] In 1974, Lauderdale moved to South Florida for a reporting opportunity at Channel 7 (WCKT-TV, at the time).
He quickly established himself as a prolific street reporter, working half a dozen stories per day, including the Mariel Boatlift.
[7] He was bumped up to the weeknight anchor desk in June 1985 on an interim basis, which was made permanent the following January.