- Jerry Taff
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Jerry Taff Born September 9, 1940 Place of Birth Lamesa, Texas Profession television anchor
journalistStates Active In Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas Years Active 1957 – 2005 Residence New Braunfels, Texas Jerry Taff (born September 9, 1940) is a former television anchor for WISN-TV in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1]
Taff was raised in Lamesa, Texas. He began working in the media at 17, when he worked at KPET-AM in Lamesa, Texas. He went on to work at stations in New Haven, Connecticut at WTNH-TV, Flint, Michigan at WJRT-TV and Dallas at WFAA-TV.[2][3] While working in Flint, Taff covered the story of a local teenager named Michael Moore who had been elected to the school board of Davison, Michigan. Taff mentored Moore and his friends for a year and a half, showing him the news business. Moore later said of Taff "He was the one media person in a town dominated by General Motors to have the courage to report the truth."[4]
Taff joined WISN-TV as anchor in September 1979.[5] He interviewed Jimmy Carter in October 1980.[6] While working at WISN, Taff mentored reporters such as Shaun Robinson, Ben Tracy, and Jason DeRusha.[1] He also taught a course on journalism at Carroll University.[2]
After serving as lead male anchor for WISN-TV for 25 years, Taff retired on May 25, 2005.[7][8] Taff was inducted into the Milwaukee Media Hall of Fame on Oct. 23, 2009.[9] He lives in New Braunfels, Texas.[2]
Controversy
Taff's parents sued him in a Waukesha County, Wisconsin court in 1985, claiming he owed them nearly $90,000[10] Though the lawsuit was dismissed, Taff was fired from WISN. The station later re-hired him in 1987.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Tim Cuprisin, "Jerry's Last Tomorrow" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 23, 2005, at 1E. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E74aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZUUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6451,2456788
- ^ a b c http://www.onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/tafftalks.html?viewall=1
- ^ "Jerry Taff to retire from Channel 12" Milwaukee Business Journal, June 29, 2004. http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2004/06/28/daily20.html?jst=b_ln_hl
- ^ Mike Drew, "The Jerry Taff-Michael Moore Connection", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 22, 2004, at E2.
- ^ Tim Cuprisin, "Grateful Taff says goodbye Retiring veteran anchor offers final wish of better tomorrows" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 26, 2005
- ^ http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/diary/1980/d100680t.pdf
- ^ Eileen Davis Huson, "Milwaukee" Media Week, September 5, 2005, at 9.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable, July 5, 2004 at 22
- ^ http://www.wisn.com/news/20384861/detail.html
- ^ Mike Drew, "Taff: his turmoil and his resume," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 12, 1985 at 9. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vWcaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VSoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6987,2065714
Categories:- 1940 births
- Living people
- People from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- People from Texas
- Carroll University faculty
- Journalists from Wisconsin
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