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A couple of longtime legends on Cleveland TV will be calling it a career soon. Leon Bibb and Lee Jordan, who have more than 50 years combined on local airwaves, announced their retirements from WEWS Channel 5.
Jordan’s last day will be July 28. Bibb will follow her out the door sometime during the first week of August.
“As a News Director, you mark your time by the big stories. This is a big story.” Jeff Harris said in a press release. “When two legends of local television announce their retirement on the same day, it’s remarkable. We thank both Leon and Lee for their wonderful careers dedicated to the station and the people of Cleveland. We’ve been blessed and wish them both our very best in this next journey.”
Here’s how he addressed their individual contributions and legacies.
“Leon is the voice of Cleveland and part of the fabric of our community. It is an honor to have learned from him and an even greater privilege to serve as his news director. We all will miss his stories, his perspective and his writing. His life and career have been ground-breaking, and the News 5 team will cherish his legacy.”
“For three decades, Lee has told the stories of Cleveland at News 5. She has persevered and excelled in a world wracked with stereotypes. Lee has bucked them all and forged a career not just for herself, but for all women who’ve followed her and chosen journalism as their profession. While we will miss that warm, familiar presence on-air, we know her retirement is so richly deserved.”
This article appears in Jul 5-11, 2017.
The hyperbole of the press release is amusing……as if Leon Bibb and Lee Jordan just happened to walk into the office on the same day with retirement letters — shocking management and causing Jeff Harris to faint.
Oh my gosh. Can this really be happening two people are retirering from their jobs. People retire all the time and fortunately the world goes on nothing stops news keeps happening weather keeps changing. Firefighters retire things still burn down. Police officers retire crime goes on. Every channel reports the news the out come is the same no matter who tells you. We live in a society that can put together an entire memorial service overnight. A couple days ago when that van went into the sinkhole, did you know that happened on every channel thats right every channel
I wonder if we had more cheerful news people, would we have more cheerful news. No? I didn’t think so.
Translation: their contracts weren’t going to be renewed, so they were allowed to “retire” to make it sound better.
The legends retire and fade away, only to be replaced by third-string idiots like Lydia Esparra and Janessa Webb. Makes me relived to be a geezer whose time is short.
Local TV news is quickly becoming unwatchable.
Chuckles the Clown