WFIE news director Joe Schlaerth died suddenly last Thursday night at his home. He was 62.
He started working at the Evansville, Ind., NBC affiliate in 2015 after working at WIVB in Buffalo, N.Y. for 15 years.
From his obituary:
Joe enjoyed swimming laps in his pool and the company of his dog, Toby. Mostly he loved being with his children and watching them grow. A broad smile would cross his face as he talked about their many accomplishments.
Joe’s newsrooms were perennially successful, almost always #1 in every time slot. He and his teams won multiple Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, National Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi awards just to name a few. The Indiana Broadcasters Association declared 14 News the 2018 Station of the Year. 14 News is currently nominated for an Emmy award for News Excellence because of Joe’s leadership.
He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Vicki Ehrenberg Schlaerth, his children and his sisters.