Leon Bibb
| Leon Douglas Bibb | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 4, 1944 Butler, Alabama, U.S. |
| Occupation | television news anchor/ reporter, journalist, radio news anchor, television personality |
| Years active | 1966-2017 |
| Spouse(s) | Marguerite Bibb |
| Children | 2 daughters, Jennifer and Alison |
| Awards |
|
Leon Bibb (born October 5, 1944 in Butler, Alabama) is an American news anchor and commentator for WKYC in Cleveland, OH, and was a member of the BGSU Board of Trustees. Leon Bibb was the first black primetime news anchor in Ohio.
Life and career
Raised in Cleveland's Glenville area, and a graduate of Glenville High School on the city's east side, Bibb’s broadcasting career began during his student days at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Following graduation, he worked as a newspaper reporter at The Plain Dealer. After a year at WTOL-TV (Toledo), he accepted a news position at WCMH-TV in Columbus.
Prior to joining WEWS-TV, Bibb worked at WKYC-TV as the weekend News Anchor and News Reporter. In 1986, he became Primary News Anchor for the Monday through Friday newscasts.
From 1995-2017 Bibb anchored various newscasts at WEWS (most recently weekdays at noon) as well as hosting a Sunday morning show named Kaleidoscope, which focuses on urban issues in Cleveland. In the early 2000s, Bibb did a series called Our Hometown, where he focused on a historical sites in the Cleveland area. He is known to take a camera operator to talk about a story in his own perspective, and such stories are now featured on WEWS under the title of "My Ohio".
Bibb retired from the anchor desk on August 1, 2017, but still appeared on WEWS hosting Kaleidoscope, as well as serving as a commentator during major news stories.[1] He returned to WKYC-TV on August 6, 2018 to be a commentator and special feature reporter.[2]
Accomplishments and awards
Among his many honors are several local Emmy Awards and citations from the Cleveland Press Club for excellence in journalism. Bibb has also received the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Society for Professional Journalists.
Bibb is a member of the following Halls of Fame:
- Ohio Broadcasting Hall of Fame
- Glenville High School Hall of Fame
- Bowling Green State University School of Communications Hall of Fame
- Cleveland Press Club Distinguished Journalist Award
- Associated Press Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame
- Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Bibb has also received several Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Cleveland Press Club and recognized with the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Cleveland Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. He also has received an award from his alma mater, Glenville High School. Leon, who is also a U.S. Army veteran, received a Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War.
In 1996 Governor George Voinovich appointed Bibb to the Board of Trustees at Bowling Green State University. Leon served as chairman of that Board.
He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternities.
References
- ↑ Dawidziak, Mark (2017-07-10). "Leon Bibb and Lee Jordan both ending long Cleveland TV runs". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
- ↑ https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/television/wkyc/leon-bibb-brings-his-storytelling-back-to-wkyc/95-580932541