For over 75 years, Alabamians have watched their favorite local news stations and become so familiar with the personalities on TV that they almost feel like family. But after the anchors and reporters sign off for the last time, that’s often the last time we hear from them.
While the likes of Janet Hall, Jerry Tracey and Reginald Jones have chosen to stay out of the spotlight since retirement, others continue to share their lives, at least on social media.
1819 News has broken down where are they now: the Alabama TV personalities we all loved across the state.
Huntsville TV:
Jerry Hayes – Jerry Hayes retired from WHNT in Huntsville earlier this year but hasn’t stopped communicating with his fans. It appears he is already enjoying retirement and has recently posted a photo of himself spending time at the beach. He also celebrated the marriage of his daughter, Megan, who followed in her father’s footsteps and became a news personality herself. He was inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame this year. He said it was the most significant honor of his 45-year career.
Bob Baron – From 1975 until 1989, Bob Baron worked as a meteorologist for WAAY in Huntsville. When he left the bright lights, he was chief meteorologist. Although he has been off air for some time, his work has not ended. He started Baron Weather to develop better tornado detection technology following a deadly tornado that killed 21 people in North Alabama. The Baron Critical Weather Institute non-profit organization was founded in 2018. Baron was named to the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2023. Baron also remains active with the local Chamber of Commerce, the Huntsville BBB and he supports Kids to Love, Huntsville Community Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama.
Lee Marshall – After signing off TV following 20 successful years as an Emmy-award-winning journalist, Lee Marshall remains in the spotlight, but in a different way. She is the founder and CEO of Kids to Love, a non-profit seeking to find families for children in foster care. Marshall is very passionate about her cause due to her own experience of being born into foster care. Marshall is also a motivational, Christian speaker.
Missy Ming Smith – While some say Missy Ming Smith was the first woman in Alabama to anchor an evening news program, that fact is challenged by Birmingham news anchor Pam Huff. Either way, Smith lives in Huntsville and has not stopped being involved since she left the bright lights of WHNT and WAFF. She served as the director of information and community relations for the Madison County Commission, she was the commissioner for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education for Alabama’s fifth congressional district, and she served on the board of trustees for Athens University.
Birmingham TV:
Rick Karle – The bad news is that Rick Karle is no longer a sports anchor on television. The good news is he is still telling all the “good news.” After a 43-year career in broadcasting, Karle is now writing “Rick Karle Good News.” You can catch his best stories, including updates on Mountain Brook teen Lulu Gribbin, Huntsville's Tommy Ray, who has attended every Alabama football game since 1972, and updates on the most notable sports stars in the state. Rick Karle Good News can be read on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Pam Huff – The first female to anchor a nightly newscast in Alabama, retired this year after nearly 50 years in the business. For the last year-and-a-half of Pam Huff’s time with ABC 33/40, she documented her battle with breast cancer, a battle in which she claimed victory. She continues to update fans on social media and has shared her travels to Yellowstone and up the East Coast. She even shares what she calls “adventuring” because she prefers that word instead of “retirement. Those moments include cooking, working in the yard and the luxuries of retired life, such as the senior discount at the movie theater.
Montgomery TV:
John O’Connor – Since retiring in 2021 after more than 40 years in news, WSFA’s John O’Connor returned to his hometown of Ashville, North Carolina. He didn’t leave the stage, as he now plays the guitar and sings at Blue Mountain Pizza in a neighboring town. Connor, who started his career in radio, also worked in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida.
Mobile TV:
Mel Showers – For five decades, Mel Showers worked at WKRG. From a booth announcer, he worked his way up to an anchor position. Showers retired in 2019 and has since been named “Honorary Mayor of Mobile” and had two streets named in his honor. Showers has made appearances at the city’s annual Spring Fling. Showers was already inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2019.
Bob Grip - Bob Grip is enjoying being a grandfather and is still active in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. After over 34 years at Fox 10, Grip retired but remains in the public eye on social media and at community events. He serves on the Board of Trustees for United Way of Southwest Alabama. Since he is only “99% retired,” Grip has worked as a fill-in anchor and senior correspondent. He said he doesn’t want to “fade to black,” and he continues to lend a helping hand when needed.
East Alabama TV:
Chuck Leonard – Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That’s what WTVM’s Chuck Leonard is doing these days, he says. He does have Chuck’s History Lesson on Facebook daily. While he would like to do radio, he said he hasn’t found the right fit. When people ask if he misses anchoring TV, he tells them, “I don’t miss getting up at 2 o’clock in the morning.” Leonard was on the air for 38 years.
Dave Platta – Dave Platta didn’t retire from WTVM after anchoring sports for 36 years. He was fired. After applying for a religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine, Gray Television fired him for “not complying with company policy.” He filed a federal lawsuit in mediation. After working at a tire shop for two years, Platta is now the mass media specialist at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in Columbus, Georgia. He said the position feels right, and he feels at home at the school.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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