It's odd I ask this, but, since most of the forum's talking iconic meteorologists in the Weather board, who is, in your mind, the most iconic news anchor in your area?
I couldn't find a meteorologist in Missoula that could garner the "iconic" nod, but I do know one that gets my nod in terms of "iconic" news anchors - Jill Valley. She's Missoula's currently long running anchor and news director at KPAX. I think she sharted at KPAX back in c. 19...91 or 2? She's had some well known co-anchors over the years that have gone on to other markets. Dennis Bragg is Valley's current co-anchor.
Former ones in Detroit: Mort Crim (supposed inspiration for Ron Burgundy in Anchorman), Carman Harlan, Bill Bonds
Current: would definitely have to include Devin Scillian, who replaced Crim. I don't watch enough news to know other current anchors.
Quote from: GaryV on January 12, 2024, 03:48:40 PM
Former ones in Detroit: Mort Crim (supposed inspiration for Ron Burgundy in Anchorman), Carman Harlan, Bill Bonds
Current: would definitely have to include Devin Scillian, who replaced Crim. I don't watch enough news to know other current anchors.
Mort Crim used to be in Philadelphia in the mid '70s.
I could list 10 names easy for Philadelphia, but they are all either old, retired, and/or dead.
I haven't lived in that area for 25 years, so I'll let someone who currently lives in the area take the honor. There are certainly some newer names now.
I remember Bill Shields from WBZ TV who retired recently although he died shortly after.
For San Francisco its Dave MacElhaton, Pete Wilson, Dennis Richmond, Leslie Griffith, Anna Chavez, Wendy Tokuda, Cheryl Jennings, Dan Ashley, Pam Moore, Kristen Sze, Belva Davis, and Dan NoyesFor Sacramento its Stan Atkinson, Dick Cable and Alan Frio. The rest that I looked up the people who spent a stint in Sacramento ended up being legends in other places like Lester Holt was from Sacramento as KCRA-TV intern until CBS got him to anchor the WBBM news in Chicago and currently NBC News. Joan Lunden from Sacramento later anchored Good Morning America, Stu Nahan was at KCRA before he made it big in Los Angeles.Interestingly for San Francisco and Sacramento there would be TV Anchors that had stints in those areas but later became legends somewhere else Like Roger Grimsby he was on KGO-TV San Francisco in the early 1960's before ABC Moved him WABC-TV New York and VanAmburg and Jerry Jensen took over Roger Grimsby's San Francisco Anchor seat.David Ono, Ellen Leyva, Tony McEwing, Susan Hirasuna all had anchor and reporting stints in Sacramento but they became legends in Los Angeles. Kaity Tong had a stint in Sacramento before she became a legend in New York.For Los Angeles specifically it's Jerry Dunphy, Christine Lund, Chuck Henry, John Schubeck, Tricia Toyota, Harold Greene, Ann Martin, Colleen Williams, Hal Fishman, Larry McCormick, Paul Moyer, Marc Brown, John Beard, Stan Chambers.
I used to work in a small TV market where the news people largely ripped-and-read the local newspaper's stuff (especially sports), but they got better at developing their own sources.
Weather people on TV are different no matter the market. It's all personality. Even when the weather is crap, at least they warned you. I can do without Delkus pushing back against critics on social media, however. You're gonna take arrows. Man up, dude.
Whichever member of the Ogle family is on your favorite TV station.
For the Capital District, John Gray of News10. He even got his own segment on the 2023 funniest moments (https://www.news10.com/community/news10-a-look-back-at-2023s-funniest-live-moments/) video.
For Rochester, I believe it's still Don Alhart of 13WHAM.
If we're strictly talking anchors, for Chicago, it's probably Larry Potash and Robin Baumgartner. They anchor the 6 to 10 AM segment of WGN Morning News in Chicago, which isn't famed for being the most serious morning news program in the area, but is the highest rated. A lot of the non-anchor people on that program are pretty well known as well for the same reason.
If you allow me to include weathermen, Tom Skilling on WGN is probably the most iconic one in Chicagoland, mainly because he's been doing it forever, is about to retire, and is the brother of discgraced Enron CEO Rich Skilling! He's also acclaimed for his proficiency in the field.
For Flint/Saginaw, Bill Harris from WJRT ABC-12 for news anchor, John McMurray from the same station for weather, Ed Phelps from again the same station for sports.
For Seattle, KOMO's Dan Lewis and Kathi Goertzen were mainstays and probably the most prominent TV news duo in the city for 20 years.
Honorable mention to Steve Raible, long-time KIRO anchor and Seahawks play-by-play commentator.
Quote from: GaryV on January 12, 2024, 03:48:40 PM
Former ones in Detroit: Mort Crim (supposed inspiration for Ron Burgundy in Anchorman), Carman Harlan, Bill Bonds
and to add from Detroit, Weatherman Sonny Eliot.
Quote from: Hobart on January 12, 2024, 09:23:14 PM
If we're strictly talking anchors, for Chicago, it's probably Larry Potash and Robin Baumgartner. They anchor the 6 to 10 AM segment of WGN Morning News in Chicago, which isn't famed for being the most serious morning news program in the area, but is the highest rated. A lot of the non-anchor people on that program are pretty well known as well for the same reason.
Are you kidding? They're both good, but when one talks about "legendary Chicago news anchors," Fahey Flynn, Joel Daly, John Drury (WBKB/WLS-TV), Bill Kurtis, Walter Jacobson, Harry Porterfield (WBBM-TV), Floyd Kalber, Carol Marin, and Ron Magers (WMAQ-TV). Jacobson also spent time at WFLD. Kalber and Magers were also at WLS-TV. Drury also spent a lot of years at WGN-TV. These people defined the news in Chicago for decades.
QuoteIf you allow me to include weathermen, Tom Skilling on WGN is probably the most iconic one in Chicagoland, mainly because he's been doing it forever, is about to retire, and is the brother of discgraced Enron CEO Rich Skilling! He's also acclaimed for his proficiency in the field.
Not only Skilling, but there was also John Coleman, Harry Volkman, Jerry Taft, Jim Tilmon, and probably many others that I've since forgotten. Even "Ringmaster Ned" Locke did weather at WGN-TV in the '60s.
I mentioned John McMurray for WJRT ABC 12 in Flint. John was also the morning weatherman on WJR radio in Detroit on the most famous morning radio show in Michigan history the J.P. McCarthy Show.
Dallas-Fort Worth:
Of the current crop, there really is only one, Clarice Tinsley (KDFW). She just celebrated her 45th anniversary with the station. Among those from the past who deserve their props, there is Tracy Rowlett (WFAA, KTVT) and the late/great Chip Moody (KXAS, KDFW, WFAA). Moody is the first and only anchor to work at all 3 pre-Fox stations in DFW.
Boston has had number of them. In my lifetime, Jack Williams and Liz Walker at WBZ (NBC, then CBS), and perhaps the most iconic, Chet Curtis and Natalie Jacobson at WCVB (ABC).
Here's one iconic News Anchor who is considered a legend in more than one place and it's John Beard who is known as a TV anchor in Los Angeles and Buffalo. Here's are clips from Buffalo and Los Angeles where John Beard anchored the news.
Bob Costas, WSYR.
Quote from: GaryV on January 12, 2024, 03:48:40 PM
Former ones in Detroit: Mort Crim (supposed inspiration for Ron Burgundy in Anchorman), Carman Harlan, Bill Bonds
Current: would definitely have to include Devin Scillian, who replaced Crim. I don't watch enough news to know other current anchors.
Wait I thought Ron Burgundy was based on Harold Greene who was a news anchor in Los Angeles. I don't think the Ron Burgundy reference is Mort Crim though. Also I heard Paul Moyer was a reference for Ron Burgundy.
https://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/2013/09/former_cleveland_news_anchor_john_hambrick_dies_of_cancer.html (https://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/2013/09/former_cleveland_news_anchor_john_hambrick_dies_of_cancer.html)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd_Hambrick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd_Hambrick)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hambrick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hambrick)
Here's one interesting one there's the Hambricks who are iconic local TV anchors around the country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Rascon
And here's another one the Rascon's who are well known in Houston and Los Angeles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Rascon
Quote from: bing101 on January 13, 2024, 08:50:25 PM
Quote from: GaryV on January 12, 2024, 03:48:40 PM
Former ones in Detroit: Mort Crim (supposed inspiration for Ron Burgundy in Anchorman), Carman Harlan, Bill Bonds
Current: would definitely have to include Devin Scillian, who replaced Crim. I don't watch enough news to know other current anchors.
Wait I thought Ron Burgundy was based on Harold Greene who was a news anchor in Los Angeles. I don't think the Ron Burgundy reference is Mort Crim though. Also I heard Paul Moyer was a reference for Ron Burgundy.
And I always thought it was Bill Bonds. Per Wikipedia, Will Ferrell supposedly said it was Crim. But that was years after the fact. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mort_Crim So he may have been thinking of someone else by then.
I don't think any of our current anchors have reached that status. The late Jim Vance, who was the longtime anchor on the local NBC affiliate (Channel 4), is probably the most iconic in recent years (and the fact that Vance, a black man, was popular with all demographics in the DC area surely helped). Prior to him, the now-retired Gordon Peterson, who was the chief anchor on Channel 9 (CBS) for many years before moving to Channel 7 (ABC), probably qualified.
If you've seen the video of sportscaster George Michael and his colleague laughing at a model who fell down multiple times on a runway, you've seen Jim Vance.
Here in the Delaware Valley it could only be John Facenda of WCAU-TV. He was also the Voice of NFL Films.
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on January 14, 2024, 02:32:50 PM
Here in the Delaware Valley it could only be John Facenda of WCAU-TV. He was also the Voice of NFL Films.
Don't forget Jim Gardner of WPVI (ABC-6).
Cleveland Ohio has had several!!
WKYC NBC Channel 3 - Al Roker (weather)
Leon Bibb (broadcasters hall of fame)
Doug Adair-Mona Scott (husband and wife team - moved to Columbus, Ohio NBC affiliate WCMH Channel 4)
WEWS ABC Channel 5 - Ted Henry
Fred Griffith - Joel Rose - Liz Richards - The Morning Echange
Don Webster (weather)
Wilma Smith (and WJW)
WJKW (WJW) CBS (later FOX) Channel 8 - Dick Goddard (weather)
- Virgil Dominick (involved with WKYC too)
and Cleveland's Dorothy Fuldheim :)
Quote from: GaryV on January 14, 2024, 12:59:16 PM
Quote from: bing101 on January 13, 2024, 08:50:25 PM
Quote from: GaryV on January 12, 2024, 03:48:40 PM
Former ones in Detroit: Mort Crim (supposed inspiration for Ron Burgundy in Anchorman), Carman Harlan, Bill Bonds
Current: would definitely have to include Devin Scillian, who replaced Crim. I don't watch enough news to know other current anchors.
Wait I thought Ron Burgundy was based on Harold Greene who was a news anchor in Los Angeles. I don't think the Ron Burgundy reference is Mort Crim though. Also I heard Paul Moyer was a reference for Ron Burgundy.
And I always thought it was Bill Bonds. Per Wikipedia, Will Ferrell supposedly said it was Crim. But that was years after the fact. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mort_Crim (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mort_Crim) So he may have been thinking of someone else by then.
https://whatculture.com/film/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy?page=2 (https://whatculture.com/film/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy?page=2)
Yes the producers of Ron Burgundy looked at old clips of Harold Greene when he was in San Diego and Los Angeles in the 1970's.
Charleston has had several. Bill Sharpe on WCSC just retired, he had been main news anchor for almost 45 years until he retired a couple years ago. Debi Chard his co-anchor was on for nearly 30 years. Carolyn Murray has been on NBC WCBD for close to 20 years, and was on the CBS WCSC for about 10 years prior to that.
Bill Walsh has been the chief meteorologist on WCSC since 1997, and has been in the market close to 40 years now. His counterpart on WCBD, Rob Fowler, has been chief since 1987.
WCIV's Dean Stephens started in sports, then moved to news in 2002, and he retired about a year ago. He was in the market over 30 years.
MSP: Don Shelby and Dave Moore (both WCCO, CBS station), Paul Magers (KARE, NBC station)
Duluth: Dennis Anderson (WDIO, ABC station)
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 14, 2024, 01:59:04 PM
I don't think any of our current anchors have reached that status. The late Jim Vance, who was the longtime anchor on the local NBC affiliate (Channel 4), is probably the most iconic in recent years (and the fact that Vance, a black man, was popular with all demographics in the DC area surely helped). Prior to him, the now-retired Gordon Peterson, who was the chief anchor on Channel 9 (CBS) for many years before moving to Channel 7 (ABC), probably qualified.
If you've seen the video of sportscaster George Michael and his colleague laughing at a model who fell down multiple times on a runway, you've seen Jim Vance.
What you said (nobody really qualifies right now, especially after Vance died) is why I didn't answer. I might add Maureen Bunyan, her story is close to Gordon Peterson (Channel 9 to Channel 7, at least in my memory, but she left both stations before he did).
I can never say (the now-retired) Doreen Genzler since she was also in Philadelphia for several years when I was there -- when I moved to DC I turned on Channel 4 and it was like, oh that's where you are now. But we settled on watching Channel 4 mainly because of the familiarity of both Genzler and George Michael (who I knew from his syndicated "Sports Machine" show), and Jim Vance (not familiar to us) who we generally liked a lot.
Nashville's most iconic was the entire WSMV lineup through most of the 80's, 90's, and a good chunk of the 00's: Dan Miller and Demetria Kalidimos with news, Bill Hall with weather, and Rudy Kalis with sports.
Dan started in 1969 and left Nashville for a while starting in 1986 to go to KCBS in Los Angeles, but that didn't last long. Then he was sidekick to Pat Sajak on the short-lived, ill-fated The Pat Sajak Show on CBS. Afterwards, he eventually made his way back to Nashville and did a weekly interview show, and finally in 1996 he regained the anchor seat from the guy who replaced him. Sadly, Dan passed away in April of 2009, collapsing from a major heart attack while walking down the street in his hometown of Augusta, GA. He was with Rudy Kalis and another WSMV reporter, and they were in town covering The Masters Golf Tournament.
Demetria stayed with WSMV from 1984 to 2012 (she was unceremoniously allowed to let her contract expire, and she later sued for age discrimination and won). Bill Hall and Rudy Kalis both started in 1974, with Bill retiring in 2005 and Rudy in 2017.
Both WKRN and WTVF have also had iconic news personalities (Bob Mueller and Anne Holt on WKRN and Chris Clark on WTVF), but no one full team had the staying power of the WSMV dream team. They dominated in the ratings through the 80's, but started to lose momentum in the 90's during Dan's absence. After Dan passed away and Bill retired, and the controversial way that Demetria was let go, WSMV has been no higher than third place, with WTVF usually in first place and WKRN a close second place.
For New York specifically it's Bill Beutel, Diana Williams, Roz Abrams, Ernie Anastos, Liz Cho, Bill Ritter, who are legends in the area.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on January 15, 2024, 12:36:46 PM
MSP: Don Shelby and Dave Moore (both WCCO, CBS station), Paul Magers (KARE, NBC station)
Duluth: Dennis Anderson (WDIO, ABC station)
Paul Magers he later went to Los Angeles on KCBS-TV.
In Cincinnati, it has to be Al Schottelkotte, who was on Channel 9 from the 1950s to the 1990s.
to this day, if you say to someone, "it's 11:00", you very well might hear them reply, "... and time for the Al Schottelkotte News", even though he's been off the air for almost 30 years.
The only other one in my mind who comes close is Nick Clooney (George's father & Rosemary's brother), who was on Channel 12 for many years. He just celebrated his 90th birthday.
Quote from: bing101 on January 15, 2024, 02:57:15 PM
For New York specifically it's Bill Beutel, Diana Williams, Roz Abrams, Ernie Anastos, Liz Cho, Bill Ritter, who are legends in the area.
Yolanda Vega
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on January 14, 2024, 03:23:37 PM
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on January 14, 2024, 02:32:50 PM
Here in the Delaware Valley it could only be John Facenda of WCAU-TV. He was also the Voice of NFL Films.
Don't forget Jim Gardner of WPVI (ABC-6).
[Reposting since I now point to video of Lennon on WPVI in 1975]
Jessica Savitch (KYW-TV, and later on NBC) is arguably iconic also, but in a different way.
Larry Kane if for nothing else than anchoring at all 3 non-Fox stations (at different times. of course).
On a side note, Kane was also on the Beatles early tours and has written books about that. On a personal note, when John Lennon was in Philadelphia for a radio telethon on Friday May 16, 1975, Kane invited Lennon to come on the newscast (Channel 6 WPVI) and present the weather. I saw this broadcast live as it happened. It wasn't until several years later that I realized what I had seen, although I do remember my older siblings (who were also watching) murmering among themselves as this was going on.
Videos of this TV appearance by Lennon on WPVI's newscast exist - google "lennon weather may 16 1975".
Hartford/New Haven
Al Terzi, Pat Sheehan, Don Lark, Gayle King (yes, that Gayle King), and Denise D'Ascenzo
In honor of today:
https://youtu.be/Yl76wlzRIOg?t=60
In response, another WNBC anchor said: https://youtu.be/nYAMDhVT50I?t=4 (oh it was the same one)
Kaity Tong who is best known as a New York TV Legend for her roles at WABC-TV and WPIX had a stint at KCRA-TV Sacramento in 1980.
Quote from: frankenroad on January 15, 2024, 03:17:28 PM
In Cincinnati, it has to be Al Schottelkotte, who was on Channel 9 from the 1950s to the 1990s.
to this day, if you say to someone, "it's 11:00", you very well might hear them reply, "... and time for the Al Schottelkotte News", even though he's been off the air for almost 30 years.
The only other one in my mind who comes close is Nick Clooney (George's father & Rosemary's brother), who was on Channel 12 for many years. He just celebrated his 90th birthday.
Jerry Springer would also have fit the bill with WLWT.
For the other stations, names you might think of would be Rob Williams and Tricia Macke with WXIX (FOX 19) who are still there 30 plus years on, or Rob Braun and several others who remained with WKRC for over 25 years, including John Lomax, Cammy Dierking and Kit Andrews, all of whom have now retired from TV news.
I think the closest Richmond has had to an "iconic" anchor is WTVR's Cheryl Miller.
Quote from: JMoses24 on March 09, 2024, 06:53:39 PM
Quote from: frankenroad on January 15, 2024, 03:17:28 PM
In Cincinnati, it has to be Al Schottelkotte, who was on Channel 9 from the 1950s to the 1990s.
to this day, if you say to someone, "it's 11:00", you very well might hear them reply, "... and time for the Al Schottelkotte News", even though he's been off the air for almost 30 years.
The only other one in my mind who comes close is Nick Clooney (George's father & Rosemary's brother), who was on Channel 12 for many years. He just celebrated his 90th birthday.
Jerry Springer would also have fit the bill with WLWT.
For the other stations, names you might think of would be Rob Williams and Tricia Macke with WXIX (FOX 19) who are still there 30 plus years on, or Rob Braun and several others who remained with WKRC for over 25 years, including John Lomax, Cammy Dierking and Kit Andrews, all of whom have now retired from TV news.
John Lomax, who worked at WKRC for 39 years, was one of the names I mentioned above.
Sadly, he passed on Tuesday, March 12 at 72 (https://local12.com/news/local/former-local-12-good-morning-cincinnati-anchor-john-lomax-passes-away-godfather-wkrc-television-reporter-newscast), due to complications from pneumonia.
For Denver, I'd say Gary Shapiro, recently retired (and also a family friend).
Here is Roz Abrams as an anchor at KRON San Francisco before she made it big in New York.