Shon Gables, evening anchor for WANF-TV since 2019, has been off the air since March without explanation.
News director Erik Schrader told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she has been on a personal leave of absence but expects her to be back on air at some point. He didn’t provide any details on when she will return to the anchor desk.
Her public Instagram page includes a few posts since early March, mostly focused on her children. And except for a post about Pope Francis’ death on April 21, her work Facebook page has been inactive since Feb. 14.
Gables did not return an email for comment.
She joined the station when it was known as CBS46 in 2018, taking over for Sharon Reed as an evening anchor a year later. Gables stayed on after Gray Television took ownership of the CBS affiliate from Meredith in late 2021. (WANF will become an independent station in August, relinquishing its CBS affiliation to WUPA-TV after 31 years.)
Gables has worked in broadcast television for the past three decades, working previously at TV stations in New York, Dallas and Detroit.
Credit: WANF
Credit: WANF
Emmy Awards for Atlanta stations
At last month’s annual Southeast Emmy Awards at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead, WANF-TV (Atlanta News First) won for overall excellence for the first time in its brief history. In recent years, either WSB-TV (Channel 2 Action News) or WXIA-TV (11Alive) has taken home the award.
WANF, which is owned by Atlanta-based Gray, won 29 Emmys, including best weathercast, best news special, best anchor (Karli Barnett), best sports reporter (Joshua Skinner), best daily news reporter (Skinner) and best special assignment reporter (Harry Samler).
WANF investigative reporter Brendan Keefe took home eight Emmys, including best investigative reporter. His lifetime Emmy total is a whopping 147. The station’s investigative team also won an Emmy for journalistic enterprise. “We are firing on all cylinders!” Keefe said in a text.
Later that week, WANF also picked up a National Emmy for investigative reporting.
11Alive took home six Emmys, including best daily news report and best sportscast.
Channel 2 Action News grabbed five Emmys, including best morning newscast and best breaking news segment.
Fox 5 (WAGA-TV) won four Emmys, including best sports anchor (Justin Felder).
And Georgia Public Broadcasting pocketed 11 Emmys, with Jaye Watson winning for best writer in two categories.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rh
Credit: RODNEY HO/rh
Longtime Georgia radio personalities recognized
The Friends of Georgia Radio has inducted several Atlanta veteran radio personalities into its Hall of Fame this year, including a few familiar on-air voices. The induction ceremony will be held at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Aug. 23, with tickets priced at $107.48 via eventbrite.com.
UGA grad and former Twins, Brewers and Atlanta Braves announcer Jim Powell will host.
The inductees include:
Bert Weiss
Weiss has been a staple on Atlanta radio for a quarter century. He fashioned the Bert Show with a focus on authenticity, relationships and pop culture. Now syndicated in 20 cities, the show remains one of the top in Atlanta morning radio. Weiss was also recently nominated for the National Radio Hall of Fame for a third time.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott
The duo hosted Christian pop station 104.7/The Fish’s only morning show ever had from 2000 until the station’s demise earlier this year when another company swallowed up the signal. The pair’s lighthearted chemistry defined the station’s slogan, “Good, Clean, Fun” in Atlanta. The pair is now looking for a new gig. “I’m not old enough for this, but I’m very very grateful,” Avery said. Scott added: “To be put in the same category as so many broadcast legends is overwhelming. But it’s a testament to our loyal listeners for 25 years who built an incredible community of laughter and serving others.”
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEORGIA R
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEORGIA R
David Dickey
Dickey launched Atlanta’s first sports-talk radio station, 680/The Fan, in 1993 and still runs the station, which is also on 93.7 on the FM dial. He briefly ran the R&B station Kiss at 104.7 (now at 104.1) in the late 1990s, bringing the Tom Joyner Morning Show to town and launching the Atlanta Flashback Festival. “I was surprised, and I appreciated the fact that people took the time to nominate me and the HOF voted to induct me,” he said.
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEORGIA RADIO
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEORGIA RADIO
Steve Hegwood
Hegwood created Atlanta’s first hip-hop station, Hot 97.5, in the mid-1990s, which moved to 107.9 in 2001. He started independent hip-hop station Streetz 94.5 in 2011 and launched R&B station 87.7 The Vibe earlier this year. He helped build Ryan Cameron’s career and created the annual Birthday Bash for Hot and Streetzfest for Streetz.
Credit: FRIENDS OF
Credit: FRIENDS OF
Scott Howard
A 1984 University of Georgia graduate, Howard has helped call Georgia football and basketball games for more than three decades. He started as a color analyst for the Bulldogs next to the late Larry Munson in the 1993 season. In 2008, he became the primary voice of UGA football. He has also been Georgia’s primary play-by-play reporter for UGA men’s basketball games since 1997.
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEOR
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEOR
Mike Lawing
In 1976, Lawing joined WGST as engineer/producer for Georgia Tech sports, later becoming chief engineer for Clear Channel Atlanta, which became iHeart Atlanta. Since retiring from iHeart in 2020, he has managed broadcast towers for American Tower in Atlanta.
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEOR
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEOR
Scott MacLeod
MacLeod has spent over 40 years at WMVG/WKZR in Milledgeville, providing play-by-play coverage of Georgia College athletics and covering thousands of high school games across multiple sports.
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEORGIA RADIO
Credit: FRIENDS OF GEORGIA RADIO
Austin Rhodes
Rhodes has hosted “The Austin Rhodes Show” on Augusta’s WGAC AM/FM since 1992, making it the longest-running weekday drive-time talk show in Georgia.
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