Ted Scouten

Emmy award winning journalist Ted Scouten has been the familiar face at the scene of international stories that affect South Florida since 1998. From being the first South Florida reporter in Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks, to the Attorney General’s hearings regarding the custody of Elian Gonzalez in Washington D.C., to standing out in the rain all over the Caribbean and Central American chasing hurricanes and reporting on the aftermath, Ted has always been there to bring a local perspective and face to the story.

Scouten has reported from CBS 4’s Broward County Newsroom since 1999, and the contacts that he’s made proved valuable when he broke the story and was the first on the scene for the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Ted came to WFOR from WFTV in Orlando, Florida where he was a reporter and anchor. He began his career at KGNS-TV in Laredo, Texas. From there, he moved through Texas markets in Brownsville and Austin where he was the morning anchor at KTBC-TV.

Throughout his career, Ted has reported on a number of major news stories. He was in San Antonio for Pope John Paul II’s visit and was present for the shoot-out between law enforcement officers and cult members of the Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas. Scouten was also on the scene sorting out the daily chaos of the 2000 Presidential Election, as well as the chaos at Michael Jackson’s arraignment in Santa Maria, California. He has also reported stories about political riots in Mexico, rampant drug smuggling along the Texas-Mexican border and the effects of heroin and cocaine trafficking between the Caribbean, South America and Florida.

After more than two decades of covering the news of the day, Ted is most proud of his Cold Case/ You Crack The Case reports. This series lets viewers see what happens after the crime, assists in solving crimes, helps in bringing closure to crime victims and their families, and advocates victims’ rights.

In 2007 Ted was honored to be the emcee of an emotional tribute to Veterans held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to kick off the CBS 4 sponsored McDonald’s Air and Sea Show. Ted’s father is a Purple Heart recipient WWII veteran who lost both legs in Okinawa.

Over the years Ted had been lending support to many local organizations like H.E.L.P., Inc. (www.helpinclaw.com), The Jarvis Foundation, AIDS Walk Fort Lauderdale, and The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. Ted won a 2002 Emmy award for a report on Animal Overpopulation in South Florida and he has worked to spread the word on the importance of pet adoption and companion animals for the elderly. Ted is also active in the wildlife community volunteering at the SPCA Wildlife Care Center fund raisers (www.WildlifeCareCenter.org).

Being the youngest of five adopted children, the oldest two of which are developmentally disabled, Ted is an advocate for adoption. Ted was raised in the Chicagoland area and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism and minors in Spanish and Psychology. Ted also attended the Universidad de Valencia in Valencia, Spain and is fluent in both Spanish and English. Ted and his partner helped to raise his teenaged nephew and niece, the oldest of which is now a proud United States Marine stationed in Japan.

On the weekends Ted can usually be found at a home improvement store getting ready to tackle a home improvement project because “the house will never be finished,” watching a Dolphins or Marlins game or traveling. Traveling is probably the reason that the house will never be finished. Some of his favorite places to relax are Venezuela, Palm Springs, California and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. and of course South Florida, the place that has become home.

Ted welcomes your story and Cold Case ideas and comments. You may contact him at 305-639-4549