Bibb to talk about 50-year career in journalism at Dan Lew Exchange
Leon Bibb will talk about his 50-year-plus career in journalism during an interview Tuesday at Dan Lew Exchange.
A veteran of the Cleveland news scene, Bibb will discuss the significance of being the first Black anchor in local television history as part of a Gravity Ohio Up Close & Personal presentation in the Kobacker Room, 28 N. Main St., from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Bibb has more than four decades of experience as a television journalist in Cleveland. He works as senior reporter and commentator for WKYC-TV3.
He began his Cleveland TV career at that NBC station in 1979, working for 16 years as a news anchor before moving to WEWS-TV5, where he served as a primetime anchor for 22 years.
In retirement, Leon Bibb returned to WKYC, where he now hosts a weekly public affairs program and provides astute commentary for the newscasts.
Before his career in Cleveland, Bibb worked for stations in Columbus and Toledo. Following his graduation from Bowling Green State University, he was a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
His career has taken him to thousands of local and national stories, including the Persian Gulf War, when he was an embedded journalist covering the Ohio-based U.S. Coast Guard unit deployed to the war.
Bibb has interviewed Presidents Barack Obama and George H.W. Bush in the White House. He has also interviewed James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nominated many times for Emmy awards, Bibb has received the prized statuette 10 times. He is a military veteran and served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement against hostile forces.
In addition, Bibb is an accomplished poet, speaker and author and is working on a new book. Bibb is also an actor and has appeared in several local productions, one of which he also authored.
Bibb has also served as a popular narrator with both the Cleveland Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, where he has performed historic works.
He and his wife, Marguerite, live in suburban Cleveland.
The evening will feature an audio-visual presentation and facilitated discussion led by Jay Fox. For seating reservations, call DLX at 419-522-7699. The event is free and open to the public. Food and beverage will be available for purchase.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Veteran Cleveland news anchor Leon Bibb speaking at DLX
