Veteran NewsChannel 5 Anchor Ted Henry Retires
Cleveland – After nearly 38 years at WEWS-TV, anchor Ted Henry will retire effective May 20, 2009. In an announcement to station colleagues today, Ted says he “will leave with feelings of satisfaction, fulfillment and with expectations for an enjoyable retirement of continued learning.” Ted plans to spend more time traveling around the world with his wife, Jody.
Ted began his broadcasting career in 1964 at a radio station in his home town of Canton. He then worked as a news reporter at WAKR-TV23 in Akron. In 1968, Ted traveled to Paraguay to work for the Peace Corps on community health, agriculture and education issues. When Ted returned to Ohio, he worked at WKBN-TV in Youngstown.
Ted joined the WEWS staff in 1972, working first as a news producer, then as weekend anchor. Ted was named weekday anchor of the 6 and 11pm news in 1975 and has held that position ever since. Currently Ted co-anchors NewsChannel 5 at 6 and 11pm with Danita Harris.
“Ted set the standard for excellence at this station in this market, and will be sorely missed,” said Vice President and General Manager of WEWS-TV, Viki Regan.
In addition to reporting on issues of importance to residents in Northeast Ohio, Ted has traveled extensively to bring significant stories of interest home to WEWS viewers. Ted has covered nearly every political convention since 1972. Ted went to Israel six times to cover the war crimes trial of John Demjanjuk, documented the Berlin Wall’s fall and reported live from Rome after the death of Pope John Paul II.
Ted’s story on political turmoil in Peru made Cleveland television history because it was the first time a live international feed was broadcast in this market.
In 1995, Ted won numerous national awards for the documentary “Finding Aliza.” Ted reported and executive produced this story about the reunion of two holocaust survivors who met at Auschwitz in 1944 but lost track of one another until the International Red Cross came to their aid. Ted accompanied University Heights resident Agnes Greenfeld on her journey to Israel to find Aliza Grunwald. Ted has also won five local TV Emmys during his career.
Henry says “it's been a tremendous privilege to have been invited into the homes of two generations of Clevelanders to report the news of the region and the world.” Ted credits Northeastern Ohio viewers for “allowing me the career I began daydreaming about at the age of seven when I saw Dorothy Fuldheim commenting on the news on TV5 when my family bought our first television set.”
“Ted has served as a strong leader and mentor in our newsroom. The NewsChannel 5 staff will continue Ted’s legacy of serving viewers with extensive relevant local news coverage. However, there is only one Ted Henry,” Regan notes.
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Thursday, April 23, 2009
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Boy do I feel old with the announcement of Ted Henry's retirement - I'd been hanging around the Eyewitness News set as early as 1969 as a teenager trying to learn and get into the broadcast news business - either as a studio cameraman, or as a journalist. For me, I ended up in radio news. I remember Ted as a young man - not too much older than I. TV 5 with John Hambrick was the best place for a budding journalist to learn. Former news director Gary Ritchie allowed me to be a fly on the wall, watching the raw film (this was before ENG) cuts that had just finished drying in the film room - that was really something. A large room used to dry the film before it could be edited. The color broadcast camera of the day was the Norelco Plumbicom, and a part of the newsroom was conered off and isolated with large FAX machines that churned out news photos and hugh weather graphics for Don Webster's weather reports - Ted Henry as mentioned was a producer and worked with a future TV8 anchor with whom he shared duties and a friendship. It was actually a pretty friendly crew. Even Dorothy was nice if you gave her a chance - sometimes I'd share a sandwich with her in her office next to the reception area - I kind of liked Dorothy, and had a great respect for her. Hambrick was pretty much 'down-to-earth' in a Texan sort of way - we got along well. And I've bumped into Gib Shanley (also a nice guy) in the studios and over the years later on. It was a great place to watch broadcast news evolve behind the scenes. I used to ride along with Don Webster in a big Buick when he did his 'on-location' weather teasers, then ewveryone jumped back into the news car to make it back to the studio in time for his segment. Ted had a boyish look and a great smile behind the scenes. When it was a slow news day, they played Poker at a folding table behind the news set...most likely long gone. Even had a chance to hang with station manager Ed Cervenak. Did I drop enough names yet?-) My biggest regret, not having worked alongside these giants in Cleveland news. But I had a lot of fun hanging with and learning the business from them. Lots of good memories Ted! I remember the news cameramen and reporters grumbling about their first ENG camera - the Ikegami spent most of its time in repair, and was pretty delicate. On the commercial side, I got to watch them film the ice cream spots for Manner's Big Boy...found out the stuff was colored lard - the real stuff would melt under the hot Klige lights. Or another time when they were filming a shampoo commercial for one of the department stores - this was the premium brand. However, under the studio lights, the shampoo's blue tinge turned clear - someone was sent out from production to buy a few similar shampoos with the blue tint. They finally got a generic bottle that worked, emptied out the contents from the product they were supposed to shoot, filling it with the imposter - ah, the fun of television production. Commercials were usually shot in the front studio. Then there was the door to 'nowhere' on the second floor. There was a steel staircase that went up to a door, when you opened it, there was a wall behind it. Myth goes, that TV 5 had actually planned to put a second floor in that area...it took them 20 years later to actually do it! Like I said, great memories, and Ted my friend, you had one great ride...then again, so did I in watching you guys work behind the scenes...Have A Great Retirement Ted! And thanks Harry Dorsey, for getting me in behind the scenes!-)
- Andrew Boggs, BA at MALL727.net -
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