Neil Zurcher
Encyclopedia
Neil Zurcher is a retired American television reporter for Fox-TV affiliate WJW-TV, Channel 8 in Cleveland, OH. He is best known for his travel segment One Tank Trips.
Seven years later Zurcher made the switch from print to broadcasting when he became a reporter for WEOL
radio in Elyria, OH. During his time at the station he purchased a 16mm motion picture camera and began filming many of the stories he reported and sold the footage to WJW-TV in Cleveland.
Zurcher became a full-time television reporter for WJW in 1967. He covered some of his biggest regional stories during the 1960s included the Palm Sunday tornado of 1965, the Kent State Vietnam War protests, and the 1968 Ohio Pen Riot.
In 2010 Gray & Company published his memoir Tales from the Road.
Early Life and Career
Zurcher was born on November 12, 1935 in Henrietta, OH near Oberlin. Zurcher joined the Marines and after being honorably discharged began working as a reporter for the Oberlin News-Tribune in 1954.Seven years later Zurcher made the switch from print to broadcasting when he became a reporter for WEOL
WEOL
WEOL — branded AM930 WEOL — is a commercial radio station licensed to Elyria, Ohio. The station serves both Elyria and Lorain, as well as the western portion of Greater Cleveland...
radio in Elyria, OH. During his time at the station he purchased a 16mm motion picture camera and began filming many of the stories he reported and sold the footage to WJW-TV in Cleveland.
Zurcher became a full-time television reporter for WJW in 1967. He covered some of his biggest regional stories during the 1960s included the Palm Sunday tornado of 1965, the Kent State Vietnam War protests, and the 1968 Ohio Pen Riot.
One Tank Trips
During the oil crisis of 1979 WJW created a temporary travel segment for the news. The series was hosted by Zurcher and was called "One Tank Trips." The segment was so popular with Northeast Ohio audiences it was extended for several months and then later became a regular part of the program for the next twenty-five years. One Tank Trips consisted of traveling destinations that Northeast Ohioans could visit on a single tank of gas. During his decades of travels Zurcher has driven more than million miles.Author
In 1995 Gray & Company, Publishers published the book One Tank Trips based on the reoccurring news segment. The book featured travel destinations in and around Ohio as well as stories from Zurcher's years on the road. Zurcher later authored several other books on Ohio travel and history such as Ohio Road Trips, Ohio Oddities, and Strange Tales from Ohio.In 2010 Gray & Company published his memoir Tales from the Road.