Ron Kershaw
Ron Kershaw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 19, 1943 North Carolina, US |
| Died | July 3, 1988 (aged 44) |
| Occupation(s) | television news director, reporter |
| Years active | 1974-1988 |
| Known for | Action News |
Ron Kershaw (August 19, 1943 – July 3, 1988) was an American television news reporter.[1] Kershaw was the news director in several U.S. markets, including New York City, Chicago and Baltimore.[2]
Early life
[edit]Kershaw grew up in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and later moved to Arizona where he attended Glendale Community College. From 1961 to 1969 he served in the United States Air Force.[2]
News director
[edit]In 1974, Kershaw was hired by WBAL-TV in Baltimore to shore up its sagging news ratings. He introduced the Action News format, hired new talent, such as Mike Hambrick And Ron Smith[3] and moved the station from last to first in less than a year. Sue Simmons and Spencer Christian were also among Kershaw's protégés.
In 1979, Kershaw moved on to WNBC-TV in New York, where he collaborated with Peter Sang in bringing the "control room" set into TV news, taking the station from last in the ratings to a market leader in two years.[4] Kershaw was also mentor to Bucky Gunts,[5] who worked for Kershaw in Baltimore and Chicago. In 1982, Kershaw NBC promoted Kershaw to be the program producer of NBC Sports.[2]
Personal life and death
[edit]While in Houston, Kershaw had been dating Jessica Savitch, a news reporter with a rival television station in Texas. Kershaw helped Savitch develop her reporting skills during their stormy ten-year relationship.[6] The relationship was depicted in the made-for-television movie: Almost Golden, about Savitch's life.[7]
In 1987, Kershaw met Giselle Fernandez, whom he had hired as a reporter at WBBM-TV. They were engaged to be married when Kershaw died of pancreatic and liver cancer on July 3, 1988, at age 44.[8][9][10] Kershaw is survived by a daughter, Lee Ann and a son, Beau Kershaw, an award-winning photojournalist, who once worked at Kershaw's old station, WBAL-TV in Baltimore.[11] Young Kershaw's awards include an Emmy Award[12] three Emmy nominations, a Grantham Prize and the duPont-Columbia silver baton.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Dunne, John Gregory (2006). books.google.com. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 978-1-56025-816-2. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ a b c "RON KERSHAW, 44, NEWS EXECUTIVE AT CHANNEL 2". chicagotribune.com. the Chicago Tribune. 4 July 1988. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ Lang, Robert. "Someone Had to Say It". wbal.com. Wbal radio Baltimore. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ News 4 New York
- ^ "movies2.nytimes.com". Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
- ^ Nash, Alanna. "The Story of Jessica Savitch". Review by Bill Long. Bill Long. Archived from the original on 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ "Almost Golden". International Movie Data Base. Archived from the original on 2008-02-21. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ "RON KERSHAW, 44, NEWS EXECUTIVE AT CHANNEL 2". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. 4 July 1988. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "2007 Emmy Award Nominations". National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-13.[dead link]
- ^ "2005 Award Winners". Society of Professional Journalist-Maryland. Archived from the original on 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ "2006 Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ "NATIONAL TELEVISION ACADEMY PRESENTS". National Television Academy. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ "2007 duPont-Columbia Award winners". Columbia University School of Journalism. 2007-02-28. Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2008-05-13.