Vince Sanders facts for kids

Vince Sanders is a very experienced person in radio and TV. He worked in broadcasting for almost 40 years! He also wrote two books about his time on air and as an actor. These books are called Can't Get HERE from THERE and That's Not Funny!.

Vince started his radio career in 1958 in Chicago. He worked at a station called WBEE-AM. He retired in 1995 as a vice president and general manager. This was for a radio station called WWRL-AM in New York City. At the same time, he was also a vice president for the National Black Network (NBN). Both WWRL and NBN were owned by the same company. Vince Sanders won the Gabriel Award twice. He won it in 1963 and again in 1972 for his work as a news anchor and reporter for NBC.

Early Life and Education

Vince Sanders, also known as Vinson J. Sanders, was born in 1935. He grew up on a small farm in Waldo, Florida. This town was a railroad community near Jacksonville. His parents divorced when he was very young. Because of this, his grandparents mostly raised him.

Vince went to several different schools. In 1948, he ended up at the famous Jones High School in Orlando. During high school, he hurt his hip and had to miss a whole school term. After his mother remarried, he stayed in Orlando permanently. He often says his mother taught him a lot about life. After serving in the military and going to college, Vince moved to Chicago. There, he studied speech and drama.

Broadcasting Career

Vince Sanders started his radio career in 1958. He worked as an actor on WBEE-AM in Chicago. He also performed in plays on stage. He acted in a play called Our Lan’ at the Joe Louis Theater. Many of his early acting jobs were unpaid. They were part of community theater.

Vince performed with several theater groups. These included Hull House Theatre and the American Negro Opera Guild.

In 1963, Vince helped with a big event in Chicago. It was called the American Negro Emancipation Centennial Exposition. He also narrated a documentary for NBC called One More River.

Talk Show Host

In the early 1960s, Vince started his own radio talk show. It was called Opinion. For over eight years, he interviewed many important African-American leaders and celebrities. During this time, he also hosted a talk show and a quiz show on WCIU-TV in Chicago. He often worked with Don Cornelius, who later became famous for Soul Train.

In 1968, Vince was a special reporter for KPOI radio in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Managing Comedy Acts

In 1969, Vince introduced the country's first black and white stand-up comedy team. They were named Tim and Tom. Vince managed them for four years.

Working at NBC and NBN

In 1970, Vince moved to NBC's station WMAQ in Chicago. He worked as a news anchor and reporter for both their radio and TV stations. In 1972, he narrated another award-winning documentary for NBC. It was called The House That Jack Built.

In 1973, Vince moved to New York City. He helped create the National Black Network (NBN). This was the first radio news network in the country owned and run by Black people. After a year, Vince became the News Director. Soon after, he became the Vice President of Broadcast Operations. He also became the executive producer for The Ossie Davis/Ruby Dee Story Hour for three years.

In 1974, Vince and NBN's sports director, Frank Bannister, covered a huge boxing match. It was when Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali won the fight. In 1976, Vince was part of a group of journalists who visited South Africa. They were there for the transfer of Transkei. Transkei was a region that gained some self-rule. In the same year, Vince also visited Nairobi, Kenya, Israel, and Jordan with other US groups.

In 1983, NBN continued to grow under Vince's leadership. He became the vice president and general manager of WWRL-AM, NBN's radio station in New York City. He held both positions until he retired in 1995. Both companies achieved great success while he was in charge.

Vince Sanders helped start the National Association of Black Journalists. He was added to their Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also an early board member for theater groups in Orlando.

Life After Retirement

Vince Sanders moved back to Orlando in 1997. Since then, he has published two books.

His book Can't Get HERE from THERE is about his role in creating NBN. NBN was the first Black-owned radio news network. It was made to share news from an African-American point of view.

His second book, That's Not Funny!, is about his time managing the comedy team of Tim and Tom. Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen were the first Black and White stand-up comedy team. They faced tough audiences as they tried to make people laugh about difficult racial issues in America.

Awards and Recognition

• 1963 Gabriel Award for One More River (NBC)
• 1972 Gabriel Award for The House That Jack Built (NBC)
• 1975 Southern Regional Press Institute Meritorious Service Award
• 1975 Founding Member of the National Association Of Black Journalist (NABJ)
• 2005 Inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame