Beginning in high school, Yaros worked for Michigan radio stations WXOX and WSGW before attending the University of Wisconsin. There, he continued his work in radio news for Madison radio station WISM.
His transition to TV occurred in 1979 while a senior at UW-Madison. After graduating with a BA, he moved from Madison's NBC 15 to KTVI-ABC in the nation's 17th largest market, St. Louis. There, he earned three Emmy awards.