Alan Williams
Alan Williams, Local 8 News and CW anchor and a 37-year veteran in the broadcast business, will be the honoree at the 39th annual Front Page Follies on June 17.
The Front Page Foundation will present the dinner and show that each year roasts state and local newsmakers at the Knoxville Convention Center. Proceeds will fund journalism and broadcasting scholarships presented in Williams’ honor at the University of Tennessee and a media studies scholarship at Pellissippi State Community College.
“Alan Williams is a veteran broadcast journalist who brings both a professional approach and a personal touch to the news he reports,†said Frank Murphy, Front Page Foundation president.
“Alan can tell sports stories with insights he gained as an SEC athlete, then cover an entertainment event with the experience of a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Country Music Association,” Murphy said. “He knows the community well because he’s worked here more than 30 years, and he’s been an active community volunteer. That kind of perspective has meant a lot to his East Tennessee audience, and we’re proud to name Alan Williams this year’s scholarship honoree.â€
In a press release, Williams said he’s been blessed to spend his career in television and radio in his hometown of Knoxville. His first broadcast job was as a weekend sports anchor in 1979 at WBIR. After working in Alabama, he came home as sports director at WATE, then became sports director at WIVK radio. He also hosted a TNN country dance show, “Dance Line.â€
In 1988, he began hosting a new show, “Noonday,†at WKXT, now WVLT, where he’s now Local 8 News and CW anchor.
Besides his memberships in the Screen Actors’ Guild and the Country Music Association, Williams is a member of the boards of Knoxville Area United Way, Positively Living, and Love All Tennis. He serves as the spokesperson for the Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Knoxville and an advisory member of the Knoxville Nativity Pageant.
His athletic skills earned him a football scholarship to the University of Florida. He was drafted as a punter for the New York Jets.
The Front Page Follies is a musical satire of the year’s events performed by journalists, public relations professionals, and members of the community. Each year at the Follies, the Front Page Foundation honors a person who has made important contributions to journalism in East Tennessee. The event begins at 6 p.m. June 17 at the Knoxville Convention Center, and it includes a reception, dinner, and live and silent auctions.
Tickets to the event are $125 each, with an early bird discount offer of tickets for $100 each until April 17. Tickets will be available beginning March 17 on the Front Page Foundation website at www.frontpagefoundation.org.
Previously sponsored by its founding partner, the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists, the Follies is now presented by a new foundation chartered in 2015. The Front Page Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides scholarships for students pursuing careers in journalism and electronic media and supports professional development and education programs serving East Tennessee journalists, students, and the public.
For more information, visit the Front Page Foundation website at www.frontpagefoundation.org or on its Facebook page.
This press release was submitted by Kay Brookshire.
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