Joel Rose, one of the area's best-known TV personalities, killed himself Aug. 4 after the Cleveland Plain Dealer revealed that he was under investigation for allegedly mailing out packages that contained underwear and pornography to women. Regular guests on Rose's longtime show, Morning Exchange, are believed to be among the victims.
He hosted the WEWS(TV) staple for the better part of two decades before leaving it in the early 1990s. When the story appeared, Rose directed media calls to his attorney, on whom it fell to tell local media his client had killed himself. WEWS(TV) said it was also working on a story regarding the Rose investigation, but didn't have it well-sourced enough to run.
WEWS(TV) Cleveland did not allow the circumstances surrounding the suicide to prevent it from paying tribute to Rose. The station offered numerous segments of file footage from Rose's career. "We can't ignore the fact that he had a huge, even glorious, career that spanned decades," said News Director Lynn Heider.
