Al Sanders

Al Sanders (March 13, 1941 - May 5, 1995), was an American, award winning, 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.

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^{[disambiguation needed ]}, St. Louis, his new name: Al Sanders.^[1] Sanders joined WJZ-TV in 1972 and became a news anchor five years later. Prior to his arrival on Television Hill, WJZ's news was mired in third place in a town that had three major network newscasts: WBAL-TV was #1, WMAR-TV was #2. Three years later, WJZ with Jerry Turner, Sanders, Bob Turk (weather) and Nick Charles (sports) were a runaway #1, with more viewers than their competitors combined,^[2] and stayed there through the 70s and into the 80s.^[3] He continued alone after Jerry Turner died in 1987 and made Denise Koch a partner a year Later. Sanders won Emmy Awards in 1993 and 1994 for his regularly featured specialty report, "Picture This."^[4] Sanders died of lung cancer at the Johns Hopkins Hospital on May 5, 1995 and he was Replaced by Vic Carter (who is formerly of WSB-TV Atlanta).

Legacy

Each year, the Baltimore Community Foundation awards college scholarships in the name of Al Sanders for those students who are musically inclined.^[5] In Baltimore, a section of Druid Park Drive between Park Heights Avenue and Clipper Road has been named in his honor.

External links

• Remembering Al Sanders
• Remembering Al Sanders pt2

Notes