MOBILE, Ala. — The local broadcasting community is mourning the loss of Mel Showers, a pioneering figure in Alabama journalism who passed away at the age of 78. His longtime employer, WKRG-TV, made the announcement of his death over the weekend, though specifics regarding the cause were not disclosed.

Mel Showers made his mark in the Deep South when he began his television career as one of the first Black journalists in Mobile. He took on the role of an on-air reporter in 1974 and later co-anchored the morning news starting in 1981, eventually becoming the evening news anchor in 1990. WKRG-TV General Manager Jesse Grear expressed in a statement that Showers not only broke significant racial barriers but also won the affection and respect of the Gulf Coast audience.

Reflecting on his childhood, Showers shared in 2019 that he admired television news anchors like Walter Cronkite but initially doubted his own potential in the field due to the lack of representation of Black individuals in such roles. His journey into broadcasting began in 1969 when he became a booth announcer at WKRG, transitioning to reporting by 1974. Throughout his career, he tackled important issues like racial inequality, covered major events such as Hurricane Frederic in 1979, and reported on the tragic 1981 lynching of Michael Donald by the Ku Klux Klan. In 1981, he took his place at the anchor desk.

Despite facing some resistance in his early years, Showers remained dedicated to his work and gradually won over the audience. “In those initial years, hate mail was common because some viewers weren’t ready to see someone of my background on the air,” he remarked during his 2015 induction into the Alabama Broadcasters Hall of Fame. However, his unwavering commitment led to a shift in audience perception: “The hate mail transformed into fan mail,” he recalled, celebrating the acceptance he eventually received.

Showers officially retired in 2019. Bob Grip, a former colleague at WKRG who later became a prominent anchor at competitor WALA-TV, praised Showers for his integrity as a news anchor. Grip emphasized that Showers reported stories fairly and accurately, which fostered respect from the entire community.

State Representative Barbara Drummond, who once worked as a reporter for the Mobile Press-Register, described Showers as an inspiring figure for both young journalists and children of color. She noted how his presence on television motivated young Black and brown girls to strive for greater accomplishments regardless of their backgrounds. Drummond characterized Showers as the embodiment of hard work and integrity, underscoring his reputation for factual reporting: “People often said, ‘Did you hear what Mel Showers said? That’s got to be true because Mel said it.’”