Ira Joe Fisher
Encyclopedia
Ira Joe Fisher is an American meteorologist and poet
. He was the weather reporter for CBS
's The Saturday Early Show
, a position he held from 1999 until 2006. He is known for his ability to write backwards on plexiglass weather presentations.
, a rural area in upstate New York, south of Buffalo. He was born in Salamanca, got his first job at WGGO
there and graduated from Little Valley Central High School
in 1965. He attended college at the State University of New York at Fredonia
but left before graduating for a four-year stint in the Air Force. He was stationed in Syracuse, New York
and attended Syracuse University
, majoring in drama
and Russian
; he later worked for the Air Force as a Russian translator. He has a Master of Fine Arts
from New England College
.
Fisher has been a college professor, author, columnist, poet, disc jockey, reporter, actor, and weatherman. He played himself in the 1985 TV movie California Girls, and starting in 1995, he played the role of Hucklebee in approximately 500 performances of the long-running off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks
. He is the author of three works of poetry: a chapbook titled Remembering Rew, and two full-length collections, Some Holy Weight in the Village Air and Songs from an Earlier Century. He has extensively studied the life and works of Robert Frost
, and has taught poetry at the University of Connecticut
, New England College, Pace University
, and Mercy College
.
Fisher lives in Connecticut with wife, Shelly. They have four children: Joshua, Shelby, Ashley, and Dylan.
in Spokane, Washington
in 1970 as a reporter and host of "The Noon Show". He worked there for 10 years, until 1980. He worked at WKRC-TV
in Cincinnati, Ohio
between 1980 and 1983. While there, he was a weather reporter and co-host of PM Magazine
. He also worked at WKRC radio as a commentator. From 1983 to 1985, Fisher served as a weatherman and feature reporter at WABC
in New York City
; during this time, he also worked on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.
Fisher returned to WKRC-TV
from 1985 to 1989, where he hosted The Ira Joe Fisher Show, a daily talk/variety show; he won two regional Emmy Award
s for his writing at WKRC. From 1989-1995, he served as a weather and feature reporter on WNBC-TV in New York City
. In 1995, he moved to WCBS
where he remained until 2003. At different times during his tenure there, he served as the weather anchor for every one of the station's newscasts.
Fisher left WCBS in 2003. After that, he appeared on the CBS News
Saturday Early Show and as a voiceover artist for the CBS Morning News and The Early Show until 2007. He occasionally serves as a substitute anchor on CBS morning news shows.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He was the weather reporter for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's The Saturday Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
, a position he held from 1999 until 2006. He is known for his ability to write backwards on plexiglass weather presentations.
Background
Fisher spent his childhood in Cattaraugus County, New YorkCattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
, a rural area in upstate New York, south of Buffalo. He was born in Salamanca, got his first job at WGGO
WGGO
WGGO is an AM radio station located in Salamanca, New York, United States. The station broadcasts at 1590 kHz and is branded as "ESPN 1590 WGGO: The Twin Tiers' Sports Leader." It is affiliated with ESPN Radio, which is also heard in Western New York via WGR in Buffalo.-History:WGGO signed on June...
there and graduated from Little Valley Central High School
Little Valley (village), New York
Little Valley is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,130 at the 2000 census.The Village of Little Valley is in the northwest corner of the Town of Little Valley....
in 1965. He attended college at the State University of New York at Fredonia
State University of New York at Fredonia
The State University of New York at Fredonia is a four-year liberal arts college located in Fredonia, New York, United States; it is a constituent college of the State University of New York...
but left before graduating for a four-year stint in the Air Force. He was stationed in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and attended Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, majoring in drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
; he later worked for the Air Force as a Russian translator. He has a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from New England College
New England College
New England College is a private four-year college in Henniker, New Hampshire, enrolling a total of approximately 1800 undergraduate and graduate students.-History:The school was created in 1946 for students attending college on the G.I...
.
Fisher has been a college professor, author, columnist, poet, disc jockey, reporter, actor, and weatherman. He played himself in the 1985 TV movie California Girls, and starting in 1995, he played the role of Hucklebee in approximately 500 performances of the long-running off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into...
. He is the author of three works of poetry: a chapbook titled Remembering Rew, and two full-length collections, Some Holy Weight in the Village Air and Songs from an Earlier Century. He has extensively studied the life and works of Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
, and has taught poetry at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, New England College, Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
, and Mercy College
Mercy College (New York)
Mercy College is a private, non-profit liberal arts college with its main campus in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and satellite locations throughout southeastern New York, including the Bronx, Manhattan, White Plains and Yorktown...
.
Fisher lives in Connecticut with wife, Shelly. They have four children: Joshua, Shelby, Ashley, and Dylan.
Television career
Fisher began his television career at KHQ-TVKHQ-TV
KHQ-TV, virtual channel 6, is the NBC affiliate for Spokane, Washington. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 15. The station is owned by The KHQ Television Group, a subsidiary of Cowles Publishing Company, which owns The Spokesman-Review newspaper...
in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
in 1970 as a reporter and host of "The Noon Show". He worked there for 10 years, until 1980. He worked at WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
between 1980 and 1983. While there, he was a weather reporter and co-host of PM Magazine
PM Magazine
PM/Evening Magazine was a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States...
. He also worked at WKRC radio as a commentator. From 1983 to 1985, Fisher served as a weatherman and feature reporter at WABC
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; during this time, he also worked on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.
Fisher returned to WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
from 1985 to 1989, where he hosted The Ira Joe Fisher Show, a daily talk/variety show; he won two regional Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s for his writing at WKRC. From 1989-1995, he served as a weather and feature reporter on WNBC-TV in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1995, he moved to WCBS
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
where he remained until 2003. At different times during his tenure there, he served as the weather anchor for every one of the station's newscasts.
Fisher left WCBS in 2003. After that, he appeared on the CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
Saturday Early Show and as a voiceover artist for the CBS Morning News and The Early Show until 2007. He occasionally serves as a substitute anchor on CBS morning news shows.