Don Harrison
Encyclopedia
Don Harrison was an anchor on CNN Headline News
from 1982 until his death from renal cancer in 1998. He was a member of the original team of anchors when Headline News went on the air for the first time as "CNN2" in 1982.
Harrison, a native of Ottawa, Kansas
, spent over three decades in the broadcast business. For 11 years he was on the staff of KCMO-TV (now KCTV
) in Kansas City
, and for another four years he worked for KMSP in Minneapolis
-St. Paul. He anchored WBAL
Action News in Baltimore in the early 1970s. He was the popular primary anchor at Tampa
's WTSP
from 1979 to 1982.
Harrison was also in high demand for voice-over work, for instance, for TBS and CNN International
. In 1987, Harrison won the CableACE award for best news anchor.
Harrison lost a leg due to bone cancer at age 13 and a kidney, also because of cancer, in 1993. He was married and had two sons and a daughter.
CNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
from 1982 until his death from renal cancer in 1998. He was a member of the original team of anchors when Headline News went on the air for the first time as "CNN2" in 1982.
Harrison, a native of Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous...
, spent over three decades in the broadcast business. For 11 years he was on the staff of KCMO-TV (now KCTV
KCTV
KCTV channel 5 is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Kansas City Metropolitan Area that is licensed to the Missouri side. Owned by the Meredith Corporation, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KSMO-TV and the two share facilities on Shawnee Mission Parkway KCTV channel 5 is...
) in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and for another four years he worked for KMSP in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
-St. Paul. He anchored WBAL
WBAL-TV
WBAL-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station in Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11. It is one of the flagship stations of Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation, which also owns sister radio stations WBAL and...
Action News in Baltimore in the early 1970s. He was the popular primary anchor at Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
's WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
from 1979 to 1982.
Harrison was also in high demand for voice-over work, for instance, for TBS and CNN International
CNN International
CNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...
. In 1987, Harrison won the CableACE award for best news anchor.
Harrison lost a leg due to bone cancer at age 13 and a kidney, also because of cancer, in 1993. He was married and had two sons and a daughter.