For anybody who grew up watching Baltimore television news in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, you'll know the one name familiar to Baltimore and WJZ is Al Sanders. Hard to believe, it is now been 25 years ago today that the city of Baltimore and WJZ would never be the same of that emotional and difficult day. Al Sanders was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of '95, but after just six or seven weeks of chemotherapy and intensive care, he lost the battle at the age 54.
Al worked at WJZ 13 from 1972 as a weekend anchor/weekday reporter before joining up with his friend, the late great Jerry Turner in 1977. From 1977 to '87, Jerry and Al became on the most successful anchor teams in Baltimore TV history. Turner and Sanders were Baltimore's top news team until 1987, when Turner succumbed to esophageal cancer on New Year's Eve (12/31/87). Longtime WJZ anchor/reporter and Al's colleague, Denise Koch joined Sanders on the anchor desk as a fill-in, gaining the role permanently in early 1988. Sanders won Emmy Awards in 1993 and 1994 for his regularly featured specialty report, "Picture This."
For anybody who watches Al Sanders, he was the real reason why we as local news fans and viewers turn to get the facts and get it right. Al was a tough reporter, but incredibility sensitive. Tradition minded, but he loved the free expression of Jazz music. Al Sanders did not have the kind of ego that most people associated with anchorman, he worked hard. If that meant covering a big story on his day off, that was fine with him. And above all, he wanted to report things that matted to people.
Today, we local news fans honored and remembered and pay tribute to Al Sanders on this day, the man who put WJZ on the map in his 23 years at the station, the man who maintained his calm, and led the newsroom and the WJZ Eyewitness News team when the worst breaking news is happening. He taught us to focus on what need to be done to make sure you got the news coverage you can count on and deserve.
RIP Al Sanders... And Godspeed.