WPRI anchor Karen Adams has decided to step away from TV news after a decorated 35-year career in broadcasting.
“You don’t want to stay at the dance too long,” Adams, 55, told The Providence Journal about her decision to retire.
WPRI‘s news director Joe Abouzeid announced Adams’ retirement on Friday, saying that her final broadcast will be December 30. Adams has been with the Providence CBS-affiliate for nearly 22 years, anchoring the station’s 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.
“Karen is a Rhode Island icon who has tremendous ties to the community,” Jay Howell, general manager of WPRI and its sister station WNAC, said. “While we will miss her here at the stations, I know that Karen is excited to continue on with her community involvement, and we all wish her much continued success.”
“Rhode Island is where I call home, and I have been fortunate that our Eyewitness News viewers have allowed me into their homes every evening,” Adams said.
Before joining WPRI, Adams worked at WPCQ in Charlotte, first as an anchor then as the NBC-affiliate’s news director. Since joining WPRI, Adams has won two New England Emmys.
Here’s Adams helming the WPRI anchor desk circa 1993…