Jerry Turner (anchorman)

Jerry Turner
Born
Jerry Jackson Joiner

August 6, 1929
DiedDecember 31, 1987(1987-12-31) (aged 58)
Occupationanchorman
Notable credit(s)Co-anchor of WJZ-TV, Eyewitness News
SpouseJean McIntyre (1952-1987, his death)

Jerry Turner (August 6, 1929 – December 31, 1987) was an American television news anchorman at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland. He was from Meridian, Mississippi and began working at the Baltimore television station in August 1962, starting the 6PM Newscast with Al Sanders in 1977.

Prior to his arrival on Television Hill, WJZ's news was mired in third place in a town that had three major network newscasts. In 1971, WBAL-TV was #1, WMAR-TV was #2; three years later, WJZ with Turner, Sanders, Bob Turk (weather) and Nick Charles (Sports) was a runaway #1 and stayed there through the 70s and into the 80s.[citation needed]

Turner worked with Oprah Winfrey when she moved to Baltimore in 1976 to co-anchor the 6PM news.