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CAB Legacy Honoree: FredGriffith 

EXCELLENCE IN BROADCASTING-CLASS OF 2000

Fred was a Cleveland Broadcast legend, who graced the Cleveland airwaves for more than 50 years. He is best known as host of WEWS’ groundbreaking Morning Exchange program, a local staple on morning television for 27 years.

A native of Charleston, West Virginia, Griffith served in the Air Force prior to becoming a journalist, and he first came in Cleveland in 1959 doing news and public affairs for radio station WDOK. At one point, he held three jobs: Doing a business radio show on WERE radio, working at PBS affiliate WVIZ, and producing the 11 p.m. news for WEWS Channel 5. He later moved to the latter full time, serving as both news and public affairs director before replacing Alan Douglas as host of The Morning Exchange in 1972.

Following Griffith’s addition to the program, producers decided to change the set format from the traditional newsdesk to one with couches in a “living room” setting, and also began showcasing real-life topics not before covered in a news setting. Griffith was able to develop great chemistry with fellow personalities Liz Richards and Joel Rose, and the show proved such a hit that it often held two-thirds of the local viewing audience. It is now seen as the template for morning TV shows that followed it.

"We talked about death, sexuality, dealing with career choices, how to establish long lasting relationships, we talked about all those kinds of things that are just routine now, but [at the time] we were pioneers,” Griffith said in a 2006 interview.

WEWS even decided against running ABC’s national show Good Morning America (which itself was inspired by The Morning Exchange) for many years until 1994, when a new affiliate deal forced the station to become the last market in America to air the show in its full two hours. This forced The Morning Exchange to move to 9 a.m., and ratings began to decline. It was eventually reduced to one hour, and Griffith was briefly replaced as host before the show was canceled altogether on Sept. 10, 1999.

Following his departure from WEWS, Fred joined WKYC in 2000 as the host of 15 Minutes with Fred. The show was later expanded to a half hour before Griffith became co-host of Good Company in 2005 (the precursor to Live On Lakeside). He would stay there for seven years before retiring in 2012 at the age of 83. At the time, his more than 13,700 hours on live TV were declared a national record.

“I always try to think about other people, what is good for them.” You were real good for us, Fred. RIP

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CAB Mission Statement

As a nonprofit  501c6 we work collaboratively as an industry to continue to advance excellence in broadcasting in Cleveland through education, social interaction, recognition and philanthropy.

1. Promote the quality of broadcasting in the Cleveland area
2. Provide a forum for issues concerning all segments of the Cleveland broadcasting community
3. Foster greater understanding between those in the broadcasting sales, advertising and business communities
4. Increase the level of professionalism among those in the Cleveland broadcast community

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