TVSpy
Anchor Frank Mickens and Chief Meteorologist Eric Chilton interrupted WFMY‘s 6 p.m. newscast on Thursday to announce, to her surprise, that the rest of the show would be dedicated to retiring anchor Sandra Hughes. It was Hughes’ final day with the Greensboro CBS-affiliate, after 38 years.
Hughes started at WFMY as a general assignment reporter, eventually moving on to host the station’s morning show. Most recently, she anchored the 6 p.m. newscast. Her career was filled with barrier-busting accomplishments, including being the first African-American in the Piedmont region to host her own talk show.
Thursday’s celebration of Hughes’ career included a special appearance from her longtime morning co-host Lee Kinard as well as the announcement that the station was naming its information center The Sandra Daye Hughes Information Center. As Hughes fought back tears when workers displayed a plaque for the information center bearing her name, Kinard, flashing the friendly rapport that the two exhibited during their tenure together, quipped, “It’s not on a headstone, for crying out loud.”
Hughes emphasized throughout the program that it was not a final goodbye but rather a “see you soon.”