WJLA 6 p.m. news anchor and senior correspondent Gordon Peterson, who has spent more than four decades as a TV reporter and anchor in D.C., is retiring, the station said in a release Friday (Nov. 7).
A station spokesperson declined to answer any questions about the announcement, referring a reporter to the email address of WJLA-TV general manager Dan Mellon, who had not responded at press time.
Peterson has been at the station for a decade—it was purchased earlier this year by Sinclair.
He has also been the moderator and executive producer of Inside Washington, the nationally distributed political roundtable.
Bill Lord, former news director and then GM of the station exited following the Sinclair purchase, with Sinclair group manager Mellon stepping in.
"Peterson has had a highly acclaimed career, covering not only the news in Washington, but historic events around the nation and the world," the station said in announcing his departure. "Gordon’s reporting often struck a personal cord. He himself was a Marine Corps officer. For years, he’s reported on veterans and the challenges faced by those who served. We will be honoring Gordon’s years of service and wishing him well as he ends his tenure with WJLA."
Peterson—the undisputed dean of Washington, D.C., anchors and one of the most respected local newsmen in the country—left WUSA-TV Washington for WJLA in 2004, where he had been the anchor of the 6 p.m. news and senior correspondent.
Peterson was the 2007 winner of the National Press Foundation's Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, named in honor of the late B&C founder. Previous winners include Tim Russert, Judy Woodruff, David Brinkley, Jorge Ramos and Wolf Blitzer.
