Bill Plante, the newsman who likes wine and dislikes DC’s ‘This Town’ culture

Bill Plante is a newsman’s newsman.

The CBS News White House correspondent, who has long put the spotlight on the news instead of himself, recently received the lifetime achievement award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.

We wanted to know more about Plante, so we asked him these questions.

{mosads}Grew up in: Rogers Park Neighborhood, Chicago – 49th Ward       

College attended: Loyola University, Chicago; Columbia University, New York City

What did you want to be when you were a kid? Railroad locomotive engineer

Favorite hobby/activity: Wine collecting/Running                            

How you unwind after a long day: Stream some jazz and have some white Burgundy with my wife

What you’re reading: Pete Baker’s Days of Fire and Ken Adelman’s Reagan at Reykjavik

Best political movie: “The Last Hurrah,” with Spencer Tracy and directed by John Ford

Favorite band: The Smoking Fish because my son, David, is the percussionist

What you like and dislike about D.C.: Like the fact that it has four distinct seasons, which usually arrive on time. Dislike the self-referential “This Town” culture.

A household chore that you can’t stand: Vacuuming            

Favorite saying/life philosophy: “Almost any wine is better than no wine at all.” And “Life is too short to drink bad wine.”

Life philosophy: You get back only as much as you’re willing to give.

A turning point in your career: Assignment to the White House after covering the 1980 Reagan campaign

Something that few know about you:  Two things: My first job in broadcasting was as a classical music disk jockey. And, I have eight grandkids.