WTVT Anchor Chair to Stay in the Family

By Kevin Eck 

wilsons wtvtWhat better gift for an anchor father to give an anchor son than his anchor timeslot?

WTVT made it official, Mark Wilson will take over his father’s anchor chair on the FOX owned Tampa station’s 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. news on November 26.

“I’m very proud to announce that Mark Wilson will follow in his father’s footsteps as FOX 13’s evening anchor alongside Kelly Ring,” WTVT VP and news director John Hoffman said in a statement. “Like his father, Mark is a servant to the community and we look forward to him taking  on this important role at our station and continuing his father’s legacy.”

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“Over the years, I’ve seen how Dad put his family and community first over himself, passing up several opportunities over the years to leave and go elsewhere,” Mark Wilson told the Tampa Bay Times. “I grew up with an appreciation for the community.”

A half a century ago, John Wilson, 73, began working in broadcast radio and television. Before moving to Tampa Bay, Wilson anchored newscasts in Richmond and Norfolk, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; St. Louis; and overseas. He anchored the news for a decade at Ch. 10 before joining Fox 13. He has three Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Mark Wilson, 45, said he doesn’t want his dad to leave and quipped that he enjoys being able “to go to work alongside my dad and put makeup on together.”

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