Al Sanders

Al Sanders (March 13, 1941 - May 5, 1995), was an American television news anchorman at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland. He helped take a third place television newscast to first place, where it stayed throughout his career.

For the American basketball player, see Al Sanders (basketball).
Al Sanders
Born
Albert Gay

March 13, 1941
St. Louis, Missouri
DiedMay 5, 1995(1995-05-05) (aged 54)
Baltimore, Maryland
Occupationanchorman
Notable credit(s)
Co-anchor of WJZ-TV, Eyewitness News
Spouse(s)Ruth
ChildrenBrandon, Christopher and Tisha

Background

In 1967 Sanders, as Al Gay, worked for radio station KXLW, in St. Louis, Missouri; in 1969 he changed stations and his name. His new station: KWK, St. Louis, his new name: Al Sanders.[1] Sanders joined WJZ-TV in 1972. Five years later, he would replace Oprah Winfrey as Jerry Turner's co-anchor.[2] Turner and Sanders were Baltimore's top news team until 1987, when Turner succumbed to esophageal cancer. Denise Koch joined Sanders on the anchor desk as a fill-in, gaining the role permanently in 1988. Sanders won Emmy Awards in 1993 and 1994 for his regularly featured specialty report, "Picture This."[3] In March 1995, Sanders was diagnosed with lung cancer. Sanders died at the Johns Hopkins Hospital on May 5, 1995, and was replaced by Vic Carter, formerly of WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Legacy

Each year, the Baltimore Community Foundation awards college scholarships in the name of Al Sanders for those students who are musically inclined.[4] In Baltimore, a section of Druid Park Drive between Park Heights Avenue and Clipper Road has been named in his honor.

Preceded by
Jerry Turner		 WJZ-TV Lead Anchors
1987/1988 – 1995		 Succeeded by
Vic Carter

References
  1. "Radio Broadcasting History: Al 'Scoop' Sanders". 440 International Inc. Archived from the original on 2013-05-26. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  2. "When Oprah Was Ours". Baltimore (magazine). Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  3. "Al Sanders; News Broadcaster, 54". New York Times. 1995-05-07. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  4. Lee, Peggy (2008-02-08). "Scholarships Turn College Dreams Into Realities". WJZ-TV. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.