User:Br3wrarum/Sandbox

Vince Sanders is a retired veteran of the broadcast industry having spent nearly 40 years on the job. He began his career as an on-air talent at WBEE-AM in Chicago in 1958. He retired as Vice President and General Manager of station WWRL-AM in New York City. He was Vice President of Broadcast Operations at the National Black Network from 1973 thru 1983. He won the Gabriel Award in 1972 while an anchor/reporter for NBC news, a position he held from 1971 thru 1973.

Early Life
Vince Sanders(aka Vinson J. Sanders) was born in 1935 on a small farm in Waldo, FL, a sprawling railroad community about 50 miles south of Jacksonville. His mother, Alzeda Mitchell and his father, James Sanders divorced when Vince was 6 months old; thereby relegating much of Vince's formative years under the tutelage of his grandparents.

After being forced to adjust to several schools,Vince wound up at the historic Jones High School of Orlando in 1948. In his junior year of high school, Vince suffered a dislocated hip, causing him to sit out a full school term. When his mother remarried, he became a permanent resident of Orlando. Orlando provided a typical lifestyle for Vince under the circumstances of a new stepfather. His mother provided as much wisdom for him as she could; for which Vince often credits her as his eventual sculptor in life. After pursuing a military career and further education Vince moved to Chicago where he studied speech and drama under the renowned Ethel Minns Lucas of the Chicago Conservatory.

Career
Vince began his career as an on-air talent at WBEE-AM in Chicago in 1958. In the early 1960's, Sanders traveled with the American Negro Opera Guild and the Richard B. Harrison Players. in 1963, he was Theatrical Consultant to the Chicago Emancipation Centennial Authority. In the early 1970's, he was Executive Producer of the Ossie Davis-Ruby Dee Story hour for three years. From 1973 thru 1983 he was Vice President of Broadcast Operations at the National Black Network.

He is a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2005. he was an Original board member of the Central Florida Threatre Alliance and the People's Theatre in Orlando.

In 1995, Vince retired as Vice President and General Manager of WWRL-AM in New York City. He began his radio career at WBEE-AM in Chicago as an on-air actor in 1958, while simultaneously performing weekends at the (Joe) Louis Theater under the tutelage of renowned playwright, Theodore Ward. Ward specifically sought Vince to play the lead role of Joshua Tain in Ward’s 3-act drama--with music--entitled Our Lan’. Most of Vince’ performances back then, including his radio theatre appearances, were unpaid under the auspices of Community Theatre.

As a rising Chicago personality with a baritone voice mainly responsible for most of his kudos, Sanders appeared in productions of wide-ranging genre for several main-line companies including: Hull House Theatre, The American Negro Opera Guild, The Richard B. Harrison Players, and The Southside Center for Performing Arts.

In 1963, he served as Theatre Consultant for the American Negro Centennial Exposition and narrated NBC’s award winning documentary, “One More River”. It was also in the early ‘60’s he began his popular call-in radio talk show called, “Opinion”. His many guests-–over more than eight years—included some of the highest profiles among African American newsmakers and other celebrities as well. During this period, Sanders also hosted a call-in talk show and a quiz contest over WCIU-TV, Chicago’s channel 26. At WCIU, Sanders was often called to work with Don Cornelius—before his “Soul Train” fame—and Roy Wood as Anchor on “ A Black’s View of the News”.

Sanders was a special correspondent for KPOI radio in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1968.

In 1969 Vince introduced the nation's first black and white stand-up comedy team Tim and Tom. He managed them for 4 years before their break-up.

In 1970, Sanders moved to Chicago’s NBC station WMAQ. As an anchor-reporter for the parent company, he worked for both the Radio and TV operations. In 1972, he narrated a second award winning documentary for NBC—“The House That Jack Built”.

A move from Chicago to New York City in 1973 provided a ground-floor role in the development of the National Black Network. NBN was the nation’s first owned and operated radio news network. In the 2nd year, Sanders was promoted from News Anchor to News Director, and shortly thereafter to Vice President of Broadcast Operations. With this addition he became Executive Producer of the Ossie Davis-Ruby Dee Story Hour.

In 1974, Sanders and NBN's sports director, Frank Bannister, covered the return to the ring of Muhammad Ali when he knocked out George Foreman in 8th round--it was the fight of the century;held in Kinsasha, Zaire.In 1976, Sanders was part a US delagation of journalists in South Africa for the Transkei transfer from Apartheid rule. Transkei was the first homeland to achieve internal self-government in 1963 and followed by full "independence" on 26 October 1976. In that same year,Sanders was part of US delagations to Nirobia, Kenya, Isreal and Jordan.

In 1983—as NBN continued growing under Vince's management, he became Vice President and General Manager of its New York City radio station—WWRL-AM. He held both positions until his departure from the company in 1995. Both companies enjoyed noteworthy achievement under Vince's control.

Sanders is a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists and was inducted into its Hall Of Fame (Region IV) in 2005. He was an original board member of the Central Florida Theatre Alliance and the People’s Theatre in Orlando, Florida.

Life After Retirement
Vince Sanders has published two books since returning to live in Orlando in 1997. The manuscript to his third title--Misapplied Passions--is 70% complete and due for release in the Fall of 2009.

The most recent release--That's Not Funny!--tells of the years when Actor/Producer Tim Reid and stand-up comic Tom Dreesen formed the nation's first stand-up comedy team and endured the disdane of hostile audiences while trying to induce Americans to laugh at the unforunate aspects of America's racial practices. Vince's first book--can't get HERE from THERE--tells of the ups & downs the nation's first radio news network designed to cover news from an African American perspective.

Both books are Memoir/Social History genre treatments. They are based on vince's role in the development of the [National Black Network] (NBN), the world’s first Black owned and operated Radio News Network and his management of the Nation’s first Black and White stand up comedy team Tim and Tom.