It’s the last day on air for a longtime ABC11 co-anchor. Here’s his departing message
ABC11 co-anchor John Clark appeared on the station’s morning broadcast for the last time Friday, Dec. 13.
Clark, who announced his retirement in November, had worked at the television station for more than 30 years.
“The time has come,” Clark said in a morning broadcast on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
For a large chunk of his time at ABC11 — 23 years — he anchored the morning newscast with Barbara Gibbs.
The station aired Gibbs’ interview with Clark on Dec. 11, Gibbs’ last day co-anchoring with Clark.
“I did the best I could with what I had, and that’s about the best you can say,” Clark told Gibbs in the interview, reflecting on his career.
Clark remained at the station as the morning news broadcast was gradually extended from an hour, when he began in the early 1990s, to its current length of 3.5 hours.
“I am so honored to have been able to come into peoples’ houses for all these years,” Clark said in the interview with Gibbs. “There are so many different choices that they could have chosen instead of us, but they watched us, and I appreciate that, and I don’t take that for granted.”
John Clark’s plans after leaving ABC11
Clark previously spoke with The News & Observer about his plans for post-ABC11 life.
He plans to work toward a master’s degree in Biblical exposition early next year. While he plans to enroll at Liberty University, the classes will be virtual, so he’ll stay in town.
Clark also told The N&O he and his wife, Val, will start a podcast next year to promote and discuss Christian faith issues.
He is the second longtime ABC11 broadcaster to leave the station in recent months, following Anthony Wilson, who had worked at the station for about 31 years.
This story was originally published December 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "It’s the last day on air for a longtime ABC11 co-anchor. Here’s his departing message."
