Longtime Sports Broadcaster Retires After 42-Year Career

By Brian Jones

A longtime sports broadcaster is ending his career. According to Rodney Ho of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fred Kalil, a veteran TV sports broadcaster based in Atlanta, will retire on Apr. 3 after a 42-year career. He currently works for WANF-TV, and network general manager Erik Schrader said Kalil is moving to Arizona to be "closer to his family."

Kalil, 64, is from Indiana and graduated from Indiana University. He has been in Atlanta since 1992, joining NBC affiliate WXIA-TV after working in Huntington, West Virginia; Phoenix, and Indianapolis. Kalil was with WXIA-TV for 23 years and won multiple Southeast Emmy Awards. WXIA-TV let Kalil go in 2015, and he then joined CBS46 in Atlanta (now called Atlanta News First). 

"We are very excited to have Fred join the CBS46 Sports team. He brings with him over 20 years of outstanding sports reporting in Atlanta. He knows the city and the community and we look forward to him bringing our viewers the best local sports coverage in all of Atlanta," then-CBS46 News Director Larry Perret said at the time.

Randy Waters, a sports broadcaster in Atlanta who worked with Kalil at WXIA-TV, had nothing but great things to say about him. "Freddy did great, great work and when he deserved accolades, I'd joke and say, 'Not bad for a stupid Hoosier!' Waters told Ho. "He'd be the first guy to carry the gear for the photographers. He was very creative with a great sense of humor."

Several Atlanta media personalities expressed their appreciation for Kalil on social media. Dan Mathews of Sports Radio 680 the Fan wrote, "One of the first people in this market to introduce themselves to me @ the Falcons facility in 2012. Such a pro! Also going to miss Ash Wednesday newscasts w/[Fred Kalil]."

Shon Gables of WANF-TV wrote, "If you live in [Atlanta] you know who [Fred Kalil] is! The [Atlnata News First] sports anchor is set to retire April 3rd. After 40-plus years in the business – Fred's headed to Arizona to be closer to his soon to come grandbaby!" Kalil will begin his retirement once the March Madness Tournament ends. He will likely be covering the Kennesaw State men's basketball team as they are the only squad from Atlanta to make the big dance. 

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