Gene Cox, who has been a fixture of Richmond TV for over three decades, announced on Wednesday that he will be leaving the WWBT anchor desk.
Cox, 70, currently anchors WWBT’s 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts alongside Sabrina Squire. The pair has been working together for 27 years, making them one of the longest running anchor teams in the country.
“Gene is an important part of the NBC12 News family and has given us and his viewers a legacy of superior journalism and commitment that we intend to continue,” said Kym Grinnage, WWBT’s vice president and general manager, in making the announcement.
Cox, a native of southwest Virginia, joined WWBT in 1978 and quickly became a Richmond icon with his folksy delivery and wry sense of humor.
“I have plans for the TV afterlife,” Cox said on Twitter last night, following the announcement. “I will not be a greeter at Walmart. Not yet anyway.”
In 2009, Cox scaled back his anchoring duties at WWBT, leaving the 11 p.m. newscast because he wanted to “go to bed earlier at night.”
His final day on-air is set for June 16th.