CBS4’s Al Sunshine retirement news

alsunshineTV News is a unique business in that you can’t get too comfortable. That’s been my experience, anyway. For most people in the industry, maintaining a job requires moving to several cities over the course of your career. Some are able to land a job at their home-town television station and stay for 30-40 years before retiring, but it’s not the norm. I’ve been in the business 11 years and have lived four cities (3 states).

The hard part of moving around so much is trying to figure out the city itself. You have to get up to speed on the people, the places, the problems, the solutions; the job never ends. But it’s particularly difficult if you try and tackle it alone. Thank God for people who try to help you along the way. One person who helped my girlfriend Tara and me acclimate to sunny South Florida is Al Sunshine (and yes, that’s his real name).

Al Sunshine Retirement

Al had been in the business some 41-years before I learned of his retirement on Twitter by his friend and Miami documentary producer Billy Corben. Al had mentioned the retirement on his Facebook page.

“I’ve been blessed with a great career and am very thankful for the opportunity to cover this dynamic community,”

Sunshine said in a statement.

“Over the past four decades, my investigations have prompted numerous local and state consumer protection laws here in Florida.”

In the short time I’ve worked at CBS4, Al helped explain the city’s past, present, things to do, people to meet and places to go.

So I wish Al a wonderful retirement. It was bittersweet news when I learned he was done in TV. Sad I won’t get to work with him, but happy to know he’s got sunny days ahead to enjoy some much-deserved R&R.

Great job, Al! We’ll miss you. Thanks for everything.

WFOR-TV Al Sunshine Retirement CBS4
Al Sunshine, Gary Nelson and Josh Benson of WFOR-TV and Tara Manis of WSVN-TV.

Update 07.28.13 – Had a great time at Al’s retirement party organized by CBS4 reporter Gary Nelson. Now that I look at this picture, there is a century of TV News experience combined. Pretty cool stuff.

Cover image: Rakontur

Subscribe to receive inspiration, news, and ideas in your inbox.

About the author

Josh Benson

3 comments

  • Josh…Thanks for the kind words. I enjoyed working with you at WFOR and know you’ll do well covering Miami.
    Not going anywhere..I may pop up where you least expect it!

  • Drink a cold one for me Tuesday July 16th…”Al Sunshine Day” Proclaimed in Miami-Dade County!
    I’m embarrassed by it all….A good single malt would be an appropriate toast too!

Josh Benson

Subscribe

Let’s Connect!

Categories