Sam Champion

Sam Champion (born August 1961) is the weather anchor of ABC's Good Morning America and weather editor of ABC News.

Career

Sam is a veteran of ABC. He was also a veteran weatherman for WABC-TV's Eyewitness News in the New York City media market for 17 years, and has continued to do fill-in work on WABC-TV since taking the network job full-time.

Champion holds a B.A. in broadcast news from Eastern Kentucky University, where he interned at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. He worked at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky and WJKS (now WCWJ) in Jacksonville, Florida. On WABC-TV, he had helmed the weekday weather forecasts (5, 6 and 11 p.m.) since 1988. On August 22, 2006, Good Morning America announced that Champion was named to his current positions with GMA and ABC News, effective September 5,2006.^[1] He will also contribute to weather and environment-related stories for ABC News programs. Champion is not a meteorologist, but he gained weather forecasting knowledge through his broadcast work.

Champion has occasionally appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly, the daily talk show produced by WABC-TV, and CNN's Larry King Live.

Champion is active in many charitable organizations of the New York area. He was the Grand Marshal of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Fall Bike Tour, the chairman of the 25th annual March of Dimes NYC WalkAmerica, and master of ceremonies of "Stopping AIDS Together," a part of Sunday by the Bay.

Personal life

Champion, who is openly gay^[2], hosted the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project's "Courage Awards", along with movie critic Frank DeCaro.^[3] While he rarely speaks of his sexuality, Champion has been the target of tabloid rumors. One such rumor had Champion linked to professional baseball player Mike Piazza, who is straight. Piazza, who was playing for the New York Mets at the time the accusations became public, later denied the rumors. [1]

Sam is currently dating Philadelphia anchor Brian Smith and the two reside in New York City.

References

1. ^ ABC News Sam Champion Joins 'GMA' as Weather Anchor
2. ^ Limsky, Drew (2005-08-30). Nueva gay island. The Advocate.
3. ^ Anti-Violence Project to Hold Sixth Annual Courage Awards

External links

• ABC News Sam Champion
• Athlete Culture: Sigh, More mike Piazza Gay Rumors

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