Legendary Cleveland Anchor is Dead

Legendary Cleveland Anchor Fred Griffith has died at the age of 90.

Griffith worked at WEWS from 1966 to 1999.

In his time at WEWS, Griffith produced newscasts and was the station’s news director and public affairs director, but the job he was best known for in Cleveland, he got as a temporary fill-in.

Fred Griffith was tapped to be the fill-in host. Along with sidekicks Liz Richards and Joel Rose, a television juggernaut was born. WEWS debuted The Morning Exchange on Jan. 3, 1972. Its original host was Alan Douglas. After six months as host, Douglas left.

Griffith hosted the daily live two-hour show until 1999.

His everyman charm and refusing to talk down to an audience endeared him to viewers.

“Fred didn’t want to be a star,” said Jan Jones, who co-hosted with Fred in the early 80s. “He always taught us we were the conduit, we wanted to bring our guest out, our guest was the star.”

H/T WEWS

---