Former Alabama TV anchor Mel Showers, who broke racial barriers in television news and became a beloved and trusted newsman along the Gulf Coast, has died. WKRG-TV, the station where he worked for 50 years, announced his passing. Showers started working part-time at WKRG in 1969 and retired in 2019 as the lead anchor. Mel Showers was 78 years old.
“His impact on the Mobile-Pensacola TV market and the state of Alabama cannot be underestimated,” said Jesse Grear, former vice president and general manager of WKRG, following the announcement of Showers’ distinction award. “Mel cemented his place in local broadcasting history, overcoming initial bigotry through quiet grace and utmost professionalism. He was a voice of calm during turbulent times and remains an example for all journalists to follow.”
Showers also hails from Mobile, having grown up in the city’s “The Bottom” neighborhood. He credits having a television job in his hometown for his longevity.
“I’ve had some offers over the years, but this is my hometown of Mobile, Alabama,” he said in 2019. “And a lot of people in our business — we work where we can get to a position where we can go to our hometowns. Well, this is my hometown, and this is where I’ve worked all my life. And I like it here.”
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Trey Thomas, a former network anchor at NBC News Radio and current network anchor with the Black Information Network on iHeart Media, worked with Mel Showers at WKRG in the 1990’s. In an interview with Yellowhammer News, Thomas credited Showers with paving the way for black journalists like himself.
“I worked with Mel Showers for two years at WKRG in my hometown of Mobile. Being able to work with a legend like Mel was quite the treat. I learned quite a bit from him, especially in my work ethic as a journalist. He paved the way for me and countless others, because there were no black people on the air in Mobile before Mel Showers.”
Thomas added that Showers will be greatly missed, and offered his heartfelt condolences to the Showers family and the countless people who are mourning his loss.
Scott Chambers is the News Director and Senior Anchor for the YHN Radio Network. @ScottChambers
