WTVF reporter Mark Bellinger died Thursday at the age of 56.
Bellinger started at the Nashville CBS affiliate in 1993 and was diagnosed with cancer in 2013.
“Around the NewsChannel 5 newsroom Mark was affectionately known as the “B” – his specialty was covering crime, but in the story of his life, cancer was the thief which stole time from him,” writes the station. “He was strong, he was courageous, and he was a journalist at heart.”
Mark first came to NewsChannel 5 from KHQ-TV in Spokane, Washington where he covered the North Idaho beat. He began his career at KIDK-TV in Idaho after graduating from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Never afraid to ask the tough questions, the “B” had a remarkable relationship with nearly every lawmaker at the Capitol. He shined there covering politics, and that is something we’ll never replace.
Mark loved the Titans, loved wearing cowboy boots to work, and loved telling great stories. He also loved his family.