Signing Off in Youngstown

After 37 years a Youngstown Anchor says he is done at the end of the month. 

WFMJ Anchor Bob Black told viewers yesterday that he has decided to retire. 

Black announced his retirement Tuesday on 21 News at six.   He officially signs off the 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. broadcasts for the last time on Monday, November 30th.

But he isn't totally going away. 

“I am happy that Bob has agreed to have a recurring role with us moving forward, particularly with the scope and size of the 2016 election year,”General Manager Jack Grdic

“While I will dearly miss seeing him on a daily basis, I’m just thrilled that we’ll still have a chance to work with Bob on important stories,” 21 News Director Mona Alexander said.  “That said, he deserves a long and happy retirement,” Alexander said.

Anyone who knows or who has ever worked with Bob Black knows he is a “newsman’s newsman.”  The kind of journalist who gets the facts right, puts the story first and always keeps the viewer front and center in his mind.  His co-anchor, Leslie Barrett, said, “Bob is leaving an indelible mark on the future of journalism in the Valley.  His work on-air is just a fraction of his impact. His guidance has been priceless to me and countless others in the newsroom.”