Walt Buteau

Walt's Rhode Island roots go back to 1880 when his family started migrating to the Ocean State from both Italy and Canada. He arrived at WPRI in 1994 and started working in broadcast journalism in 1985.

He now serves as a reporter on just about every broadcast, from Eyewitness News This Morning to Eyewitness News At 11. His passion is breaking news and he takes great pride in getting there first but more importantly, getting it right.

Walt's pride and joy? Street Stories, which run on Friday nights. The stories have been nominated for Emmy awards three years in a row.

"These stories are about real people and what they do with adversity. What they do after the worst day of their life. The photographer and co-producer, John Villella is a big reason why Street Stories are so compelling."

Over the years, Walt covered some of the biggest stories to hit Rhode Island. He anchored the station's daily coverage of the Cianci trial. He won an Emmy as the first reporter to the scene of The Station fire and also reported on The JFK Jr. plane crash, the Cape oil spill, many mill fires and he even jumped out of an airplane for a story on adrenaline junkies. But his favorite big story is much lighter.

"I loved covering the Cranston kids when they went to the Little League World Series. It's hard to believe how time flies. The catcher, Craig Stinson was recently drafted by a major league team!"

The biggest event he covered was 9-11. Walt was the first Rhode Island reporter to make it to ground zero, arriving only a few hours after the attack and filing live reports beginning at six that night.

"It is still very real to me. I remember the hope on the faces of the firefighters who expected to find survivors. During the following week, we profiled several Rhode Islanders who witnessed the attack and who then had to find a way to feel safe again in New York."

In his spare time, Walt loves to write, read, play baseball and spend time with his kids and girlfriend. He looks forward to being there the next time a big story hits Rhode Island.