Inside TV News: The Legendary Al Roker in Conversation with Magee Hickey
Inside TV News: The Legendary Al Roker in Conversation with Magee Hickey
Thurs, Oct 3 2:45-4pm
Al Roker is NBC weather presenter on the Today Show, as well as occasional co-host of 3rd Hour Today. He recently returned from covering the Olympics in Paris. We’ll also hear about his life and career in this special session. Born and educated in NYC, his weather-reporting started while an still an undergraduate at SUNY Oswego, where he also DJed at the campus radio station (busy guy!). After weathercasting in DC and Cleveland, he was promoted to the network's flagship outlet, WNBC-TV in his hometown. He soon became the station's regular weeknight weathercaster, a substitute for some other station forecasters, and for Matt Lauer on the Today Show, then host of CNBC’s The Al Roker Show.
When David Letterman asked him to join in an elevator race in an episode of the late night talk show, Roker received a lot of attention, becoming Weekend Today’s substitute forecaster. Since 1996 he has been Today’s top forecaster and anchor. His interviews with visitors outside Rockefeller Plaza have become a staple; he continues the show’s daily tradition of birthday wishes to centenarians. His charity work includes "Rokerthon" fundraisers; in one, he visited colleges and set a Guinness World Record at each one, featuring the longest conga line on ice and largest human letter. (Sounds like fun!) Co-host of NBC's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade coverage. Co-author of a series of mysteries featuring Billy Blessing, a celebrity chef turned amateur detective, The Midnight Show Murders and The Morning Show Murders, also Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times, written with his wife Deborah Roberts. Al has dealt with serious health challenges in the last few years, crediting his wife and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in NYC for saving his life. PIX11’s Magee Hickey joins him in conversation about his amazing life and career. She has been a reporter for every NYC TV station over her long career.