Former TV news folks (Buffalo, Collins: high school, to live, move to)

[bmd51]

Where is Kathleen Leighton, Carol Jasen, Wes Goforth, Don Pollack, Mary McCombs, and Brian Blessing just a few names I remember there. No longer lived there was forced out due to the economy.

[groove1]

I believe Brian Blessing committed suicide. I could be wrong. Moderator cut: inappropriate

[njsocks]

Brian Blessing??? NOOO WAY!!get your facts STRAIGHT!HE IS NOT DEAD FOR GOD'S SAKES!! UGH!
I FOUND THIS ON WIKIPEDIA!

[edit] Notable former reporters

• John Beard - evening anchor (early 1980s). Later worked at KNBC and KTTV in Los Angeles, California.
• Brian Blessing, sports anchor in the early 1990s. Went on to co-host Hockey Hotline on Empire Sports Network. Now in Las Vegas, hosting Sportsbook Radio on KENO.
• Erika Brason, anchor of Weekend Wakeup!. (1999 - 2005) (Now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo)
• Ray Collins , news anchor and the first anchor of Wake Up! alongside Sue Serio. (1994 - 1999) (Now at WTVT-TV in Tampa)
• Chuck Gurney, meteorologist and (for a brief time) co-anchor of Weekend Wake Up!. (Now at WBNS-TV)
• Chuck Healey, former boxer and sports announcer. He was WBEN's news anchor from 1965 until 1971 when he returned to the sports desk where he remained until his retirement in 1978.
• Carol Crissey Nigrelli (AKA Carol Crissey and Carol Jasen), evening anchor. (1979-June 2002) Left the station to marry former WIVB reporter Craig Nigrelli and move to New Mexico.
• Jodi Johnston, did hourly news updates (1994 - 1999) (Now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo).
• Bob Koop, variously anchored the 11 p.m. news and the 5:30 news amongst other from 1980 until his leukemia forced him to go on sick leave in 1994; he died the next year.
• Van Miller was associated with WBEN/WIVB's from 1955 until his retirement from the station in 1998. For much of that time he was the station's sports director. He also hosted the station's high school quiz show It's Academic from the late 1960s until the 1990s. He also hosted the bowling show Beat the Champ from 1978 through the 1980s taking over from Healey.
• Kevin O'Connell. Was an anchor at WIVB throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, with a break during his hosting the short-lived game show Go!. Now the head weather reporter at rival WGRZ-TV.
• Kevin O'Neill a.k.a. "The Why Guy." (September 1994-November 2006) O'Neill resigned after 12 years as WIVB's feature reporter. ( Now at WGRZ Channel 2 )
• Marie Rice, longtime WIVB reporter and morning update anchor since the 1970's, retired in 2006.
• Sue Serio, joined WIVB as the first female co-anchor of Wake Up! in 1994. Serio married sports reporter Bill Vargas during her time at WIVB; by 1997, she was pregnant with his child. She went on maternity leave in 1997 but never returned to Buffalo; instead, both Serio and Vargas quietly went to WTXF-TV where she is today.
• Dennis Williams, sports director (1996-February 2008). Now at WGR.

[bmd51]

Now if you can post their faces. Man there has been alot of folks come thru all the TV stations back there.

[njsocks]

Remember Dan HAUSLE? from WKBW? He is out in Boston MA on their abc affiliate....I used to live near Boston. It was cool seeing him.

[castministry]

rick azar is in whispering pines north carolina. He does a 2 hour show in local radio Sanford NC. I am meeting him next week.

[Coraggio]

Originally Posted by bmd51

Where is Kathleen Leighton, Carol Jasen, Wes Goforth, Don Pollack, Mary McCombs, and Brian Blessing just a few names I remember there. No longer lived there was forced out due to the economy.

I think Don Polek ended up in the Philly market, like so many other former WNY newcasters.

Carol Jasen got married and moved out west.

[bmd69]

Originally Posted by Coraggio

I think Don Polek ended up in the Philly market, like so many other former WNY newcasters.

Carol Jasen got married and moved out west.

She married Craig Nigrelli who worked with her.

[njsocks]

Originally Posted by bmd69

She married Craig Nigrelli who worked with her.

Really? I thought Carol was previously married..........I could be wrong.......Isn't she like 20 years older thank Craig? LOL....

WHat about Clip Smith? Did he die or is he alive and well?
I hear Susan Banks has breast ca now. She was a well respected journalist...I liked her alot!

[bmd69]

Originally Posted by njsocks

Really? I thought Carol was previously married..........I could be wrong.......Isn't she like 20 years older thank Craig? LOL....

WHat about Clip Smith? Did he die or is he alive and well?
I hear Susan Banks has breast ca now. She was a well respected journalist...I liked her alot!

She did marry him and he is older. Clip passed away in car accident in Gasport NY area.