December will mark Bruce Johnson‘s last month at WUSA, the Tegna station in Washington, D.C.
After 44 years on the job, the D.C. broadcast legend, who anchors the station’s weeknight 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. news broadcasts, will retire at the end of the year. His last day will be Dec. 31.
“The term ‘living legend’ can be sometimes overblown, but is well-earned in Bruce’s case,” WUSA president and general manager Richard Dyer said in an article about Johnson’s retirement. “This natural fighter from Louisville, Ky., hometown of Muhammad Ali, has been a journalist of the highest distinction at WUSA9 since 1976, reporting on high impact stories from D.C., the nation and around the globe.”
Johnson has for decades brought local, national and world news coverage to the station, regularly covering political and breaking news in addition to his weeknight anchoring. His work has been awarded with 22 Emmys and also earned him a place in both the Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame and the Washington D.C. Hall of Fame. He is slated to be inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame at the University of Kentucky. He has also been awarded the Ted Yates Award and the NATAS Board of Governors Award, as well as hundreds of civic awards in Washington.
He is also the author of two books. Johnson is slated to release a third—an autobiography—in 2021.
Beginning next month, the station will take a look back at Johnson’s career to honor his journalism and his contributions to the community.