Emmy Award winning John Ahrens joined the Eyewitness News weather team in September of 2006.
John, an AMS certified broadcast meteorologist (CBM), is in his element in the center of a storm. During his years as a Meteorologist for WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC, John covered several hurricanes that plowed into the Carolinas including Isabel and Ophelia. He also went down to Mississippi to witness Katrina’s wrath.
Prior to coming to the Carolinas, John also served viewers as a Meteorologist at KTVO-TV in Kirksville, Missouri, right in the heart of “tornado alley.” He has taken viewers through numerous tornadoes, baseball size hail events and ice storms.
In 2002, John received the Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society. In 2009, he earned the American Meteorological Society's Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation, a professional recognition of the quality of his weather broadcasts. John also carries a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Kent State University.
When he is not at work, John enjoys running, sports, singing and the theater. He’s an avid Frank Sinatra fan and you may just catch him singing a few standards from time to time.
Susanna Black is an award-winning reporter who joined the Channel 9 news team in September 2019.
Prior to joining WSOC, Susanna was a reporter and fill-in anchor at CBS17 in Raleigh. Her journalism career started in 2015 at WECT in Wilmington, where she was a general assignment reporter and weekend anchor.
Over the years, Susanna’s led several investigations and covered everything from Presidential visits to hurricanes. In 2019, Susanna was one of the first reporters on the ground of the natural gas explosion in Durham.
In 2016, she was named the Radio and Television Digital News Association of the Carolina’s Best Multimedia Journalist. Her work has been recognized by the North Carolina Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Broadcast Education Association.
She also won second place in the renowned Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program.
Susanna is a proud graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Susanna serves on the Advisory Council for the presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is actively involved in the Cabarrus County chapter of Distinguished Young Women.
Have a story idea? Want to say hi? Email Susanna at Susanna.Black@wsoc-tv.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Joe Bruno covers politics and breaking news for WSOC-TV. The Elon University graduate has been a reporter in Charlotte since 2014.
The Charlotte Agenda named Bruno to its Top 30 under 30 list. He has twice been named a media mind to watch by the Charlotte Agenda.
Bruno’s reporting has been honored by the Associated Press, RTDNA, Society of Professional Journalists and the Television Academy. Bruno has been nominated for three Emmy awards.
Recently, Bruno’s reporting on the 9th Congressional District has been praised by the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News and Columbia Journalism Review for helping break open the election fraud investigation.
The Washington Post did a feature article on Bruno calling his work, “the shoe-leather reporting boosting North Carolina’s explosive election fraud investigation.”
In addition the 9th Congressional District, Bruno has covered major stories including three hurricanes, the Keith Scott protests, the Charleston massacre, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the unrest in Charlottesville.
Outside of work Bruno has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters for three years and a youth and high school baseball umpire for nine years.
Bruno is originally from Philadelphia but is happy to be working in North Carolina. Outside of work, Joe enjoys hanging out with friends and going to music and sporting events. He is also a baseball and softball umpire and brother of Delta Upsilon. Bruno has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters for more than two years. He is a parishioner of St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Uptown.
To contact Joe, email him at Joe.Bruno@wsoc-tv.com or tweet at him @JoeBrunoWSOC9.
Erin Edwards joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News team in July 2019 and is thrilled to be in the Queen City.
Erin comes to Charlotte from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she was a multi-media journalist. While on the Grand Strand, Erin covered several big stories, including Hurricane Florence and the shooting of seven law enforcement officers in Florence County.
Before heading south, Erin lived in Boston, Massachusetts, where she worked as a writer for WHDH, a job she says reinforced her decision to pursue a career in journalism. Erin also worked as a host for New England Sports Network’s Dirty Water TV.
A native New Englander, Erin was born and raised in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and graduated from Fisher College in Boston. After battling through brutal winters, she’s excited to get to warmer weather.
Erin enjoys exploring new places and is eager to see all Charlotte has to offer. Have a story idea? Want to say hi? Email Erin at Erin.Edwards@WSOC-TV.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Born in Bay Shore, New York, Dave Faherty received his B.A. Degree in Marketing from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Soon after graduation, he turned his quest for information to gathering the news.
His broadcast career stretches from coast to coast. Dave joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News Team in December,1996, as Unifour Bureau Chief covering Catawba, Alexander, Burke and Caldwell counties. Prior to his arrival in Charlotte, he worked as a news reporter at KMPH-TV in Fresno, California. Previously, he held the position of Bureau Chief at WPDE, the ABC affiliate covering the Florence-Myrtle Beach area.
Dave is the recipient of numerous awards for his journalistic efforts. In 1994, he received first place awards from both the Radio and TV News Directors Association and the South Carolina Associated Press for spot news. The South Carolina Associated Press also recognized Dave in 1993 for his investigative reporting.
In 1991, Dave was named Eastern Carolina Reporter of the Year. In addition, he received the South Carolina Army National Guard Certificate of Recognition for reporting during Desert Storm. Dave was recognized by his colleagues when he received the WPDE Governor's Award in 1992 and again in 1994.
When Dave is not tracking down news, he can be found cheering for the Atlanta Braves. His enthusiasm for sports goes far beyond the sidelines. He enjoys playing basketball, golf and taking long hikes. Dave is involved with running 5-10k races, spending time with his family and volunteering at his church in Hickory.
Sports anchor/reporter Matt Harris joined the Eyewitness News team in September 2016.
Before coming to Charlotte, Matt was the weekend sports anchor/reporter at KSLA in Shreveport, Louisiana. During his two years in the “Ark-La-Tex” Matt covered college athletics at LSU, Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, Grambling State, Northwestern State, East Texas Baptist University and Centenary. He also covered two NFL teams, the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys.
At KSLA Matt earned his first career Emmy award nomination. Prior to Shreveport, Matt got his start in sports broadcasting at WTVY in Dothan, Alabama. While in Dothan, he covered everything from HS athletics up to Alabama and Auburn college football.
He covered the Alabama Crimson Tide all the way to their BCS National championship win over Notre Dame in Miami, Florida in 2012. In 2013, he covered the Auburn Tigers all the way to their BCS title game against Florida State in Pasadena, California.
Matt also covered the USTA women’s tennis event, the Dothan Pro Classic (now the Hardee’s Pro Classic) as well as the prestigious junior golf tournament “The Future Masters” while in Dothan.
Matt started as the weekend sports anchor at WTVY before being promoted to Sports Director. During his two and a half years in the “Wiregrass” Matt earned 6 AP Sports awards ranging from “Best Sports Anchor” to “Best Sports Story”
The root of Matt’s sports fanaticism and passion is based in North Carolina. His father is originally from Roxboro, N.C.
Matt graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2010 and then earned his master’s degree from Syracuse University in 2011.
Matt is thrilled to call Charlotte home. His family now lives in Hampstead, North Carolina. He says being able to cover sports in the Charlotte-area while being so close to family is a dream come true.
Anthony Kustura joined the Eyewitness News morning team in June 2019. He came to the Queen City by way of Florida, Colorado and his native Oregon.
Anthony most recently worked at the ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach, where he covered the political news cycle at Mar-a-Lago, the aftermath of the Parkland School Shooting and the prostitution sting that netted NFL Patriot’s owner, Robert Kraft.
Anthony’s approach to his story coverage stems from two simple questions: Does this matter to our community and what can we learn from it?
Anthony also enjoys meeting our loyal Channel 9 viewers, so if you see him out and about be sure to say hi!
Got a tip or story idea? You can contact Anthony on Twitter or by email at Anthony.Kustura@wsoc-tv.com.
Ken Lemon joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News team as the Gaston Bureau reporter/photographer in September, 1998.
He came to the Charlotte market from WECT-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was a field reporter, bureau chief and an associate producer. While at WECT-TV, Ken won an Associated Press Award for General News in 1997.
Ken majored in Communications and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNC-Wilmington where he was student body president. He is a charter member of the UNCW Communications Studies Alumni Board and is a North Carolina Certified Mediator.
When Ken is not tracking down the news, he likes to spend time with his family. He and his son, Matt, live in Gastonia.
Ken is an avid sports fan and enjoys acting in his spare time.
Keith Monday proudly joined the WSOC Severe Weather Team in January 2008 and was very excited to make Charlotte his new home. He is the Eyewitness News Daybreak starting at 4:30 a.m., Eyewitness News This Morning on TV 64, Weekdays from 7-9 a.m, as well as the Eyewitness News Midday at Noon meteorologist. Keith, an AMS certified broadcast meteorologist (CBM), has worked in many parts of the country with various types of challenging weather -- now he gladly brings all those experiences to the Queen City.
Monday was awarded an Emmy award in Nashville, TN in January 2011 for best Weathercast.
Originally from the St Louis area, he is not ashamed to say his weather career began at very young age by trying to get over his fear of thunderstorms. His fear turned into interest as he learned more about weather and how it works. Keith went on to attend the University of Missouri and earned his degree in Atmospheric Science. Although still a very loyal Mizzou Tigers fan, he can't wait to get into the frenzy of ACC basketball.
His first on air job was in college at KOMU, the NBC station owned by the university. After graduation he moved to the dusty and windy plains of West Texas. Forecasting severe storms for KLBK in Lubbock was where Keith got his first taste of covering extremely severe weather. While working in Lubbock, Keith was also a storm chaser for the station, actually searching out large hail and tornadoes. Although he only saw a few smaller tornadoes at a distance, he came across more hail than he had ever seen -- sometimes the size of grapefruit!
After three years of severe weather forecasting experience he was promoted to Chief Meteorologist at KAMR in Amarillo, TX. Keith spent the next three years covering some of the most active weather in the country. One night he was on the air for 8 hours straight covering dozens of tornado warnings. When it was all said and done 26 tornadoes had been reported in the area!
From Texas, Keith made his way east to West Virginia where entirely new types of weather hazards were waiting. This time it was flooding rains and heavy mountain snows. He spent more than three years as the morning Meteorologist for WOWK in Charleston/Huntington. During his first month in the Mountain State Keith dealt with the remnants of two hurricanes that made their way up the east coast, Ivan and Frances. In a span of ten days, heavy rains caused dramatic flooding across the Appalachians.
In 2001 Keith received the prestigious Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society. He's also received a number of awards including the Texas Associated Press for Best Weathercast.
Keith loves all kinds of music and recently took up the guitar. He's still a novice but has great fun trying. He also loves traveling and doing just about anything outdoors -- especially taking weather pictures. Keith met his wife Laurabree at their first television jobs in Texas. So he's gained much more than just weather knowledge from his television career! You can see Keith's forecasts weekday mornings starting at 4:30 a.m. and at noon.
John Paul joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News team in July of 2015 as TV64 anchor and reporter.
He comes to us from our sister station WHIO in Dayton, Ohio where he was the morning and noon anchor. He’s a two-time Emmy Award winner for his work on the noon broadcast and with cold case murder mysteries.
He has his hands full with three little girls and wife Kimm. They are adjusting to the southern climate and love how friendly everyone is in the Carolinas.
John Paul was born outside of Chicago, but spent most of his life in Kalamzoo, Michigan. He majored in Journalism at Western Michigan University, graduating in 2005.
In his spare time, he likes to try new food at mom and pop restaurants and exploring the area.
If you have a news tip, or want to drop a line contact him at john.paul@wsoc-tv.com.
Jaclyn joined the WSOC Severe Weather Team in June 2018 and is thrilled to be in Charlotte -- and to be back on the East Coast. A native of Pittsburgh, Jaclyn spent the past few years on the other side of the country at KRNV in Reno, Nevada.
Jaclyn graduated from Mississippi State and Iona College with degrees in meteorology and mass communications. She also served on a FEMA Corps team through AmeriCorps, traveling around the country working on GIS and other disaster management projects.
A self-proclaimed weather geek, Jaclyn is an active member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and of the National Weather Association (NWA) and sits on two NWA committees.
In her spare time, Jaclyn enjoys going for a run and exploring new restaurants, bookstores, and coffee shops. Her camera roll is filled with photos of her pet bunny, her niece, and interesting looking clouds.
Greg Suskin joined Channel 9 Eyewitness News as a reporter in the Rock Hill, South Carolina Bureau on February 24, 2000. He came to Channel 9 from WYFF-TV in Greenville, South Carolina where he was a reporter for four years. His experience also includes two years at WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama and two years at WCFT-TV in Tuscaloosa.
A graduate of Auburn University with a BA in Journalism, Greg has been recognized with numerous awards for his work. He was named 1997 South Carolina "Journalist of the Year" by the Radio-Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas.
In 1998, he received the Pete Ivey Award for Education Coverage presented by the College News Association of the Carolinas and in 1999 he won an Associated Press first place award for environmental coverage.
In his free time, Greg has a telescope trained on the stars. He lists astronomy, hiking, and watching movies as his favorite hobbies. Greg is married and has three children.
Tina Terry joined the Eyewitness News teams as a reporter in June, 2011.
Before Charlotte, she was a reporter at WAGT-TV in Augusta, GA. During her time in Augusta, Tina traveled to Los Angeles for a special interview with Dr. Phil and received the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Award for Best Specialized Reporting. She also spent time in Kansas where she was recognized by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Award for Best Feature Reporting in 2001.
Tina attended The University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS where she earned a degree in Journalism. She loves cooking tasty meals, watching chick flicks, and attending bible study.
When Steve Udelson joined WSOC-TV's Severe Weather Center 9 team as Chief Meteorologist in 1997, he brought with him a wealth of experience in weather technology and a major interest in another science ... astronomy!
Steve's background prepares him to talk about meteor showers as well as thunder showers. Steve's knowledge and extensive background in both sciences coupled with his capabilities as an internet surfer, play a major role in Steve's unique approach to what's happening in the sky and beyond.
Steve is an Emmy Award winning Meteorologist. In 2006, Steve became the first Chief Meteorologist in Charlotte to earn the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal from the American Meteorological Society. This means he has passed rigorous testing on his knowledge and communication of meteorology and related sciences needed to be an effective broadcast meteorologist.
His interest in weather piqued as a student at the University of Maryland when he had the opportunity to co-op with the National Weather Service in Washington, D.C. for two years. After graduation, he put his B.S. degree in Physical Sciences to work at WCSH in Portland, Maine.
In 1985, Steve headed south to work for WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach. Later, Steve accepted a position as evening weather anchor at WLVI in Boston, his home town. From there, he headed for WJLA in Washington, D.C. Prior to coming to Charlotte, Steve was the evening meteorologist for WFLA in Tampa for five years.
Steve is married and has two children. He likes to spend his time off with his family doing anything outdoors. Steve enjoys running, gardening, and tennis.
Meteorologist Receives High Honor
Steve Udelson of WSOC-TV has earned the American Meteorological Society's Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation, a professional recognition of the quality of his weather broadcasts. Udelson is the first broadcast meteorologist in Charlotte, N.C. to earn the new designation. Among radio and television meteorologists, the CBM designation is sought as a mark of distinction and recognition.
The AMS grants the CBM designation to broadcast meteorologists who meet established criteria for scientific competence and effective communication skills in their weather presentations. The CBM is a new program, launched in January 2005 as an upgrade to the Society’s Seal of Approval program.
“The Society’s Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation clearly recognizes that the holders have the educational background and have been tested in their knowledge and communication of the sciences needed to be an effective broadcast meteorologist,” said AMS Executive Director Keith Seitter. “The general public can have added confidence in the quality and reliability of weather presentations made by broadcast meteorologists approved by the Society.”
To earn the CBM, broadcasters must hold a degree in meteorology or equivalent from an accredited college or university, pass a rigorous written examination, and have their on-air work reviewed to assess technical competence, informational value, explanatory value, and communication skills.
In addition to the initial educational and test requirements, CBMs have to earn professional development points in order to maintain their certification. These points can be earned by attending scientific seminars or meetings and similar activities.
The AMS is the nation’s largest professional society for those in the atmospheric and related sciences. The Society, founded in 1919, has more than 11,000 members around the world.
For more information on the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) Program, go to http://www.ametsoc.org/amscert/index.html.
"Eyewitness News" reporter Mark Becker joined WSOC-TV in 1984. Born in Passay City, Philippines where his father was a Lutheran missionary, Mark was sixteen when his family returned to the United States and settled in Washington state.
He graduated Cum Laude from Columbia University with a B.A. in English in 1980. In 1982, he received his M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri.
Before becoming a part of the Channel 9 team, he was employed at KJRH-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma and KFRU-AM in Columbia, Missouri.
Mark has received a variety of awards for his reporting. In 1985, Mark's five-part series on child sexual abuse was cited by United Press International as "Best Documentary Series" and the series also won a national Clarion award from Women in Communications. Mark has been recognized by NCCJ-Oklahoma for "Best Documentary" and from UPI-Oklahoma for first place in spot news and second place in the documentary category.
Mark is married to former WSOC-TV anchor/reporter Suzanne Stevens, and has two daughters, Jillian and Genevieve. In his free time, Mark enjoys reading, jogging and sports.
DaShawn Brown joined the Eyewitness News team in December 2015 as a reporter.
She came to Charlotte from Charleston, South Carolina where she was a Reporter and Weekend Morning Anchor. She also grew up in the area, on nearby Johns Island.
While in Charleston, DaShawn covered many of the nation's top stories, including the Charleston church shooting, the shooting death of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man killed by a former North Charleston police officer, as well as two POTUS visits to the Palmetto state.
DaShawn began her career as a sports reporter, working in Mississippi and Georgia, and has earned Associated Press awards for Best Sports Feature.
She is also an avid UNC-Chapel Hill fan and alumna, and is thrilled to be back in the Tar Heel State.
If you have a story for DaShawn, email her at dashawn.brown@wsoc-tv.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @DaShawnWSOC9.
Erica Bryant is an Emmy Award winning journalist. She currently co-anchors WSOC-TV "Channel 9 Eyewitness News" weeknights at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. She previously worked for WCBD-TV in Charleston, South Carolina, and WHNS-TV in Greenville, South Carolina.
Erica earned her degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Erica is passionate about volunteering in the community and focuses on issues facing disadvantaged women and children. She serves on the board of Safe Alliance. Erica is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Crown Jewels Chapter of the Links, Inc. She is also a member of the Charlotte Chapter of Jack and Jill. Erica lives in Charlotte with her husband and two children.
Genevieve joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News team in June 2019 as a weekend anchor and reporter and is SO excited to be in the Queen City!
Genevieve previously worked in the Sun City -- El Paso, Texas. While in El Paso, she was the station’s chief investigative reporter. Her investigations led to arrests, changes in Texas state laws, court reform and other institutional changes.
She also produced a 10-month docu-series on the El Paso Police Academy, as civilians became officers.
Genevieve spent seven years covering complex immigration issues along the U.S.-Mexico border, embedding with U.S. Border Patrol agents on the ground and interviewing migrants from around the world.
Some of her more memorable stories include covering the visit of Pope Francis as well as two presidential visits.
Genevieve’s work has received an Emmy nomination, AP awards and recognition from community organizations.
Genevieve is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Go Pack Go!) and graduated cum laude from The University of Missouri (MIZ). She loves crime documentaries, brunch, sports, reading, hot yoga, traveling, volunteering and spending time with friends and family.
She can’t wait to get to know y’all and tell your stories!
If you have a story for Genevieve or you can email her at Genevieve.Curtis@wsoc-tv.com or follow her on Twitter: @GenevieveWSOC9
Brittney Johnson joined the Channel 9 News team as a reporter in March 2015.
Before returning to her home state, Brittney chased storms and stories as an anchor/reporter at KARK 4/FOX 16 News in Little Rock, AR and Monroe, LA.
Brittney graduated from Howard University and furthered her studies at the University of California at Berkeley where she earned a master's degree in journalism. During her time at Berkeley she also worked as a health fellow at The Washington Post and traveled overseas to report on health issues in rural India.
Throughout her career, Brittney's reporting has garnered an Emmy nomination and recognition from community groups and the Associated Press.
Along with meeting new people and traveling the world, Brittney enjoys hosting events, training for marathons and spending time with family. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Brittney is also a proud graduate of West Charlotte High School and thrilled to be back in the Queen City!
If you'd like to say hello or send Brittney a story idea, email her at brittney.johnson@wsoc-tv.com.
Allison Latos joined the Eyewitness News team in May 2011 as anchor/reporter.
Latos anchored Eyewitness News Daybreak for more than four years before taking on the role as anchor for the 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts.
Before coming to Channel 9, Allison was an anchor at WTOV in Steubenville, OH.
While at WTOV one of her investigative reports brought to light the heroin epidemic in the area that was not previously at the forefront and was the subject of a public awareness special. In 2010 Allison covered the weeklong trial of a local police chief involved in the Sarah Jessica Parker surrogate scandal.
A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Allison attended West Virginia University where she graduated summa cum laude as an honors scholar. She loves traveling, cooking, exercising, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.
Allison was named the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Anchor of the Year in 2015.
Damany Lewis anchors Channel 9 Eyewitness News at Noon with Allison Latos. He comes to Charlotte with nearly two decades of experience in broadcast journalism.
A Chicago native, Damany worked at WSOC's sister station WPXI-NBC in Pittsburgh, where he won several Emmys for his anchoring and reporting.
Before working in Pittsburgh, Damany worked in California for seven years as an anchor/reporter for the ABC and NBC stations in Sacramento.
Damany is no stranger to North Carolina, working at WXII 12 in Winston-Salem for two years, where he covered numerous stories that affected the community.
Before arriving in North Carolina, Damany worked at WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida, for three years. He was on the front lines during hurricane season in 2004 and provided frequent reports to various television stations across the country. When he wasn't covering hurricanes, he covered stories on the police and education beats.
Before working in Jacksonville, Damany reported for television stations in Champaign, Illinois, and Tallahassee, Florida.
Damany graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism.
Damany has been married for 16 years and has a 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. In his spare time, you can find Damany cracking open a good book, grilling, watching any sport imaginable or out running, training for his next half or full marathon.
Have a story idea? Want to say hi? Email Damany at Damany.Lewis@wsoc-tv.com or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Sports anchor Phil Orban joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News Team in March of 2014.
He comes from the award-winning sports team at WRIC in Richmond, Virginia.
While there, Phil has covered sports at every level, from VCU’s Final Four run in 2011 to BCS bowl games to the return of double-A baseball to the city.
A Maryland native, Phil graduated from the University of Maryland in 2005. He began his career as an associate producer for the nationally-syndicated George Michael Sports Machine.
Phil loves spending time with his wife and daughter, and is looking forward to exploring the Queen City.
If you have any story ideas find him on twitter @philorbanwsoc9
Tony Sadiku joined the WSOC Severe Weather Center 9 team in October 2018 and is very excited to be serving viewers in the Carolinas.
He previously worked in Florida at WFTX in Cape Coral and WRUF in Gainesville.
While he’s from Florida, Tony is no stranger to seasons. He often jokes that after living in New York City for a couple years and Rochester, Minnesota for five years growing up, he can survive just about any winter.
As a meteorologist in Florida, Tony took viewers through Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm that ripped through the Naples area, leaving behind unbelievable damage.
Tony graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida and holds a master’s degree in Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Tony is also a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.
In his spare time, Tony enjoys exercising, traveling and cheering on the Florida Gators. He’s also musically inclined and can play the piano and bass guitar.
Have a story idea or want to say hello? You can contact Tony on Twitter, Facebook or email him at tony.sadiku@wsoc-tv.com.
Jason joined Channel 9 Eyewitness News as a General Assignment Reporter in September 2006. For seven years, Jason's reported on Charlotte-Mecklenburg civic and government issues as well as the impact these have on the community.
In September 2013, Jason was promoted to Action 9 reporter to replace long-time Charlotte consumer investigator Don Griffin when he retired after 31 years at Channel 9.
Jason is no stranger to North Carolina.
He reported for three years with WRAL-TV in Raleigh. He has covered events in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and Pinehurst, following everything from putts to paratroopers, during the height of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before that, he reported news at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga and WDNN-TV in Dalton, Georgia.
He also obtained a law degree from the University of Maryland in 1999 and even drew his own courtroom sketches when cameras weren’t allowed. He interned with two federal prosecutors' offices and with state capital defense lawyers.
He currently lives in Matthews with his wife, daughter and son, the only people who laugh at his jokes. He enjoys the Carolina Panthers, soccer, art, books and movies.
Follow Jason on Twitter using the profile @Action9.
Mark Taylor joined the Eyewitness News Team in February, 2013 as traffic Anchor on Channel 9 Eyewitness News Daybreak and Eyewitness News This Morning on TV64.
Mark has been covering Charlotte traffic on both radio and television since 2008.Prior to that he worked for Mood Media Muzak as voice talent for on-hold and in-store messaging. He attended Greensboro College on a theater scholarship and graduated from the Carolina School of Broadcasting.
Mark grew up the Charlotte area and currently lives in Belmont, NC.Mark and his wife Lori have one son, Austin, and a Yorkie named Sargent York.Mark is a music fanatic who loves discovering new artists/bands.He runs an average of twelve miles each week and also does independent voiceovers as a hobby.
Blaine Tolison is an anchor on Eyewitness News This Morning on WSOC-TV and TV-64. He also reports for Channel 9 Eyewitness News. Blaine has nearly 10 years of experience covering news and comes from WSOC’s sister station in Orlando, WFTV. He has covered everything from devastating storms to national tragedies such as the recent Orlando shooting at a nightclub where 49 people were killed. Blaine worked in WFTV’s Daytona Beach bureau covering races, including the Daytona 500. During that time, he also investigated government waste, crime, and problems within local police departments.
Outside of work, Blaine enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and friends. You may see him outdoors enjoying a hike in the mountains or visiting the many tasty restaurants in the Queen City. But when he’s not on dry land, he’s on a boat enjoying life on the water or under it scuba diving. If you see him, don’t be afraid to say hello. He enjoys people most of all and the stories they have to tell. Feel free to email him with a story you’d like him to look into.
Scott Wickersham has been on the air at Eyewitness news since 2005. He is the main anchor for Channel 9 Eyewitness News at 5 and 6 p.m. as well as 11 p.m.
Scott grew up in Michigan. He graduated Cum Laude from Central Michigan University with a degree in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts.
Before coming to Charlotte he anchored and reported the news in Detroit, Lansing, Buffalo, and Asheville.
Scott and his wife Candice have two girls, Willow and Greenlee, born and raised right here in Charlotte.
