Last Updated on November 24, 2023, 12:04 am
Harry Porterfield, an iconic figure on WLS-TV, passed away on Monday, October 23, 2023, at the age of 95. Porterfield was a veteran news reporter and anchor.
Harry passed away on Monday morning in Munster, Indiana, surrounded by his family, from natural causes following a brief illness. According to the family statement, he passed away in Munster from natural causes.
Vanished Chicagoland confirmed his death news through a Facebook post and wrote in a statement that:
“Harry Porterfield the longtime news anchor and reporter for WBBM-TV Channel 2, and WLS-TV Channel 7, in Chicago, has passed away. He was 95. I will discuss my memories of watching him on TV in the next episode of Vanished Chicagoland Stories the Podcast. It’s coming soon! He was a nice man! RIP.”
He left the world by leaving behind his 55-year-old wife, four children, a granddaughter, and a great-grandchild. Thoughts and Condolences to his family, friends and community in this tragic time.
About Harry Porterfield
Harry Porterfield was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on August 29, 1928. After graduating from Eastern Michigan University in 1954, he went on to DePaul University in 1993 to earn his law degree while continuing to work in television.
He started his career in 1955 as a disc jockey for WKNX. In 1964, Porterfield started as a news writer at WBBM. Porterfield worked for WLS-TV for 24 years after leaving WBBM in 1985.
In 1964, he started his long television career as a news writer at CBS 2 in Chicago. Later, he worked as a reporter and anchor, hosting his show called “Someone You Should Know”, in which he featured regular Chicagoans who were achieving amazing things.
When Bill Kurtis was promoted to anchorman at CBS in the late 1980s, Porterfield was demoted from anchorman to reporter. Porterfield transferred to WLS (ABC) and resigned from WBBM (CBS), and as a result, Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH launched a 10-month boycott of CBS.
He then returned to WBBM in 2009 as the anchor for the 11 a.m. news and worked there until his retirement. Porterfield worked in Chicago television for 51 years, almost 30 of those years at CBS 2. He retired from WBBM in December of 2015.
In addition to eleven Emmys, Porterfield has received the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award and the Studs Terkel Award. At the eleventh annual alum graduation reception hosted by Indiana University Neal-Marshall, Porterfield was also honoured with the Legacy of Leadership Award.
However, Porterfield was a legendary anchor; his legacy will always endure, and he will always be remembered in the hearts of his loved ones. His funeral details have not been released yet. Prayers for him; Rest in Peace, Harry Porterfield.
Source: uptospeedjournalism.com
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