Leon Bibb – Class of 2006
Leon Bibb (born October 5, 1944, in Butler. Alabama) signs off August 1st, after over 40 years in broadcasting. A recipient of the Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, Leon was the first Black primetime news anchor in Ohio.
Raised in Cleveland’s Glenville area, and a 1962 graduate of Glenville High School, Bibb’s broadcasting career began during his days at Bowling Green State University. Following graduation, he worked as a newspaper reporter at the Plain Dealer. After a year at WTOL-TV (Toledo), he accepted a news position at WCMH-TV in Columbus.
Prior to joining WEWS-TV, Bibb worked at WKYC-TV as the weekend News Anchor and News Reporter. In 1986, he became Primary News Anchor for the Monday through Friday newscasts.
Leon Bibb anchored the noon newscast at WEWS-TV, as well as hosting a Sunday morning show named Kaleidescope, which focuses on urban issues in Cleveland. In the early 2000s, Bibb did a series called Our Hometown, where he focused on historical sites in the Cleveland area. He is known to take a camera operator to talk about a story in his own perspective, and such stories are now featured on WEWS under the title of “My Ohio”.
Among his many honors are several local Emmy Awards and citations from the Cleveland Press Club for excellence in journalism. Bibb has also received the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Society for Professional Journalists.
Bibb is a member of the following Halls of Fame:
- Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame
- Glenville High School Hall of Fame
- Bowling Green State University School of Communications Hall of Fame
- Cleveland Press Club Distinguished Journalist award
- Associated Press Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame
- Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Bibb has also received several Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Cleveland Press Club and recognized with the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Cleveland Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. Leon, who is also an U.S. Army veteran, received a Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War.
In 1996 Governor George Voinovich appointed Bibb to the Board of Trustees at BGSU and Leon served as chairman of that Board.