WIVB-TV (Channel 4) Hall of Fame anchor Jacquie Walker appears to be testing former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy’s oft-quoted statement that “once you’re thinking of retiring, you are already retired.”
According to multiple sources, Walker recently has been considering retirement.
However, some of the same sources say that WIVB officials and high level executives of Nexstar, the owner of WIVB and sister station WNLO-TV, have been attempting to persuade her to continue anchoring alongside Don Postles.
You can understand why Nexstar officials want to keep her on air. Walker’s retirement has the potential to hurt the station’s ratings. There is no likely heir apparent on WIVB’s staff to replace her.
Before morning anchor Mel Orlins left this summer for a morning anchor job in Charleston, S.C., she appeared to be the one logical possibility to replace Walker. But there is no veteran female anchor remaining on staff. Among the remaining female anchors on staff – Kelsey Anderson, Jordan Norkus and Abby Fridmann – Anderson would appear to be the most experienced to become the main co-anchor.
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The speculation about Walker’s status heightened recently when someone at WIVB leaked to competitors the possibility that she was considering retiring soon.
It appears that Walker is seriously considering retiring but hasn’t made a final decision when that will be until after she has more discussions with WIVB and Nexstar officials.
Reached late Tuesday night, Walker gave a generic statement that didn’t tip her hand about how long she will stay in the anchor chair.
“If you're lucky enough, everybody will retire someday,” Walker said. “In my case, it isn’t today.”
During a recent interview, new Channel 4 general manager Joe Abouzeid sidestepped the question regarding the future of the station’s veteran anchors, Walker and Postles.
Abouzeidi undoubtedly realizes his primary anchor team can’t work forever. But it sounded like Walker and Postles would get to decide when they retire.
“All I can tell you it is my sincere hope that the great people we have at our station are around for as long as possible,” Abouzeid said. “We will be encouraging that and hoping for that.”
Walker has been a Channel 4 anchor for 39 years and is the longest-serving TV anchor in Buffalo at one station. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, and after taking off six weeks for treatment, returned to her anchor seat in early 2015. In May of 2021, Walker became the latest member of the local media to be selected to the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame. She was inducted with three others in the Class of 2021 in New York City in October.
She joined a list of legendary New York State Hall of Famers with Buffalo ties that includes Tom Jolls, Sandy Beach, Phil Beuth, Frank Crocker, George Lorenz, Van Miller, Chris Musial, Danny Neaverth, Bill Ransom, Marie Rice and Irv Weinstein.
Weinstein, who died in December 2017, was inducted in 2006. Jolls was inducted three years ago.
Stations don’t always announce contract extensions to main anchors, but in August 2020 then General Manager Brien Kennedy confirmed Walker had agreed to a new deal without saying when the agreement occurred.
Walker, who also is in the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame, arrived at Channel 4 in October of 1983 from a Rochester station.
“She is a very important part of our team,” Kennedy added, noting that Walker does considerable work in the community.
He didn’t provide any details on the length of the new deal.
In an August 2020 column in which several media personalities were asked about their retirement or non-retirement plans, Walker joked that she thinks about retiring “every time I deliver a story about somebody hitting the lottery jackpot and retiring.”
And why doesn’t she retire?
“Waiting to fill in my retirement bingo card. I’ve already covered my friends Kevin O’Connell and Sandy Beach – still waiting for (Mike) Randall, (Keith) Radford, and Postles ... . (Rick) Jeanneret gets the free space. Let’s hope he never retires.”
In the two years since that column, Jeanneret, Radford and Al Vaughters have retired, leaving Randall, Postles and Walker as the on-air veterans who haven’t filled their retirement bingo cards.
