 After teaching high school English for six years in New Haven, Connecticut, Conaty decided to pursue a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.Conaty's first job as a reporter was for WTVT-TV in Tampa, Florida, and he subsequently worked at WNET/NJP-TV in New Jersey as a weekend anchor, and at WJLA-TV (the local ABC affiliate in the Washington, D.C. market) as a national correspondent.From 1986 to 1987 he worked for WTTG, the FOX station in the D.C. area, before moving to WFLD.