Advisory Council
Michael
Williams, TEL 1980
Reporter, CBS4 News, WFOR-TV
Michael Williams joined WFOR-TV January 7th, 2008, and brings to CBS4 News 23 years of experience covering South Florida, the nation, and the world.
Williams worked at WSVN-TV (1984-1993), and WTVJ-TV (1993-2006). He chronicled the long decline and shutdown of Eastern Airlines, the papal visit to Miami in 1987, the devastating impact of Hurricane Andrew, and the heroic recovery efforts that followed in its wake. From the Cuban rafter exodus in 1994, to the international custody battle over Elian Gonzalez, and the political/legal drama surrounding the Florida presidential vote in 2000, Williams has covered every major story here for a generation.
A seven-time Emmy award winner for education reporting, hurricane coverage, and environmental/cultural documentaries in South Africa and Panama, Williams has stamped his passport in many places. He covered the drug war in Colombia in 1989, as well as the return of democracy to Nicaragua and Haiti. For his role in helping cover the strife in Haiti, Williams was honored in 1996 as a co-recipient of the Alfred I. DuPont Silver Baton, one of the most prestigious awards in broadcast journalism. In 1998,Williams helped lead the coverage of Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Cuba.
As a Washington based national correspondent for NBC NewsChannel (2002-2004), Williams extensively followed the political debate over the build-up to war in Iraq. He regularly reported live from Capitol Hill and the White House, including frequent reports for MSNBC, and he covered the Columbia space shuttle tragedy in 2003.
Williams is a 1980 graduate of the University of Florida. He began his reporting career at WTVX-TV in Fort Pierce. In 1982 he moved to Cincinnati, joining WCPO-TV as a reporter for two years before heading to South Florida. He is married and is the proud father of three daughters.
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