Beamer, other New Year's Eve hosts
Year after year, San Antonio anchorman Randy Beamer has helped the city ring in the new year with the live special, “Celebrate San Antonio” on WOAI-TV – amid surprise marriage proposals, passionate kisses, crazy souvenirs and, of course, fireworks.
Beamer insists he never grows tired of the extra TV duty, and can’t wait to do it again Wednesday night.
“I really look forward to it every year. It’s one of those rare times when we get to share one of the best things about San Antonio with the rest of San Antonio and South Texas,” Beamer wrote in an e-mail, “and we get to do it live, while enjoying all of it, right in the middle of it.”
The New Year’s Eve special airs from 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through 12:30 a.m. Thursday on WOAI.
This year, he’ll sit next to a new co-host: his WOAI co-anchor Evy Ramos.
But he has had many a lovely partner for the broadcast in previous years: Debora Daniels, Delaine Mathieu and Elsa Ramon, to name a few.
“I remember we did it during the big scare about Y2K,” Beamer said. “That was a little weird. And, in the end, very anticlimactic since pretty much nothing happened.”
“I remember some marriage proposals we’ve had live before the fireworks at midnight,” Beamer added. “All surprised. A few cried. And all said ‘yes.’ ”
He also enjoys the off-camera moments, he said, right before the broadcast or during the fireworks part of it at midnight. “That’s when I get to take my camera and either get shots of the fireworks or wander around in the crowd and take candid shots of people having a great time,” he said.
“The backdrop of the Tower and HemisFair Park with La Villita right there and the Alamo just down the street. And most of it is a family-friendly atmosphere, where people bring their little ones and sometimes they sleep through the fireworks on their parents’ shoulders.”
As for all those kisses at the stroke of midnight — some of them a bit too enthusiastic for viewers’ tastes — Beamer added: “We’ve probably caught a few on camera between shots of the fireworks. But I usually watch the fireworks, so I don’t remember any really, uh, intensely demonstrative or ‘messy’ kisses.”
So, if you’re home enjoying one of those quieter New Year’s Eves, or want a little TV accompaniment to the midnight countdown during a party, why not tune in to the only live telecast from downtown San Antonio.
For other televised parties, check out:
ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.” Clark, who died in 2012, began this holiday TV tradition in 1974. Seacrest is joined by Jenny McCarthy on the East Coast and Fergie, who hosts the Billboard Hollywood Party in Los Angeles. The fun, which also includes musical performances by Taylor Swift and New Direction, begins in prime time (7 p.m. on KSAT) and essentially runs through the wee hours of the morning.
Fox’s “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution.” This one has Pitbull hosting his first end-of-year TV special. He’ll broadcast live from his hometown of Miami. Guests include Enrique Iglesias and Fifth Harmony. First broadcast happens at 8 p.m. Wednesday on KABB and will be followed by the ring-in-the-new year extravaganza at 11 p.m.
NBC’s “New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly.” This annual prime-time special from Times Square in New York precedes WOAI’s local celebration. Among its highlights are performances by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. It airs at 9 p.m. on WOAI.
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