Birmingham’s local stations pitched in to help out ABC affiliate WBMA so staff could attend the funeral for colleague and anchor Chris Sign, who died last week of an apparent suicide.
“Today as you might imagine has been difficult,” the station said on its website. “We want to give a sincere thank you to our friends at WBRC, WVTM and WIAT for helping us cover the news of the day so that many of us could attend Chris’ funeral.”
WBRC news director Shannon Isbell told TVSpy that stations “gave them video, notes for stories and shot the live stream of the funeral for their website.”
James Spann, chief meteorologist for the ABC affiliate, delivered the eulogy for Sign, and told the story about Sign choosing to work in Birmingham.
“Chris had the chance to go on to the network. That’s what you dream of doing in the television business—being at network level,” Spann said during the service. “And he had that opportunity, but he turned it down and came to join us as our news anchor. Because he felt it was a calling. He felt that God led him to do that. He felt it was the best place to raise his precious family. And we’re so thankful for that. For the joy he’s given us over the last four years.”
Sign, who was 45, is survived by his wife Laura and their three boys.