One of the best-known voices and faces in the Birmingham television market has died. Scott Richards passed away from a medical emergency on Valentine's Day.
Richards was a news anchor on Birmingham's Fox 6 News (WBRC) from 1981 to his retirement in 2014.
Tens of thousands in the Birmingham TV market felt they knew Scott Richards. He came into their living rooms daily on weekdays – for 33 years.
Scott Richards had the opportunity to say goodbye to the folks he worked beside for those 33 years. When he retired from WBRC in 2014, he told his audience and fellow workers:
"Most of my best recollections from FOX6 News are the people. Actually, I should say, the characters! What a group through the years -- with every range of talent and personality. My thanks go out to all of my co-workers who contributed to my success through the years, especially the news producers, reporters, photographers and video editors who are the backbone of every great broadcast news department. I also want to thank my co-anchors with whom I was privileged to work."
When Richards announced his retirement, I told everyone within hearing range, "He won't be able to completely leave TV news. He loves it, and it loves him. He will be back in some role." That turned out to be true.
Richards began a weekly TV news show in 2020 on Birmingham's CBS42 News, "Inside This Week." He wrote and produced the show as well as anchored it.
In his 43-year career in TV news, Richards has been a reporter, photographer, producer, and anchor.
Veteran TV meteorologist James Spann posted on his Facebook page Thursday:
I am very saddened to hear that my friend Scott Richards passed away last night.
Scott and I worked together at WBRC, Channel 6, from 1989 to 1996. Scott was there from 1981 to 2014. He retired in January of 2014.
The evening news team was Scott, Janet Hall, Rick Karle, and me.
An old-school journalist, Scott wanted to get it right with no bias. And these days, I appreciate that more than ever. We worked on some pretty big events together, including the Blizzard of '93.
Prayers for his family during this time.
Richards was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. He said, "I got to the South just as soon as I could." And once in the South, he stayed.
That trip south started at Wake Forest University and after his military service, completing his degree at the University of Louisville.
Richards got into broadcasting during his three-year stint in the U.S. Army. After basic training and journalism training at the Defense Information School, the Army sent him to the Panama Canal Zone, where he worked first in radio. He then became the evening news anchor for SCN, the Southern Command Network.
Following his last military assignment at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, Richards began his career in commercial broadcasting at WLKY-TV in Louisville as a general assignment reporter/cameraman and then as the 11 p.m. news producer.
His career next took him to WKRC-TV, Cincinnati, where he worked as a reporter and weekend anchor and occasionally substituted for Nick Clooney (George Clooney's father) on the weekday anchor desk.
Richards' next move up the ladder was back to Louisville as weekday evening news co-anchor and executive producer.
In 1981, Richards made his final move to Birmingham as the evening news anchor for Fox 6 News (WBRC-TV) and remained there until he retired in 2014. He was named Best News Anchor in Alabama nine times by the Alabama Broadcasters Association.
Arrangements are pending.
Signing off from that tallest of TV broadcast towers in the skies.
Jim Zeigler is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com
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