Story by Chris Graham
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The face and voice of WSLS news anchor John Carlin has been a reassuring presence in living rooms up and down the Valley for more than 20 years. His days in the big chair are counting down now, though.
Carlin is leaving the Roanoke NBC affiliate on Nov. 28 to take a job as senior vice president at Access PR. Jay Warren will replace Carlin in the anchor slot alongside Karen McNew on Dec. 1.
“I couldn’t be happier to have Jay take the reins at WSLS. I’ve enjoyed a wonderful career in television news and I’m very pleased to trust our viewers to such a capable journalist,” said Carlin, who in addition to serving as the top anchor at WSLS has also taught classes in the communications department at Virginia Tech, where his students included Augusta Free Press publisher and award-winning television broadcaster Crystal Graham.
Carlin himself is a multiple-award honoree for his work in Virginia. In 2007, Carlin co-anchored the Peabody Award-winning coverage that WSLS provided of the mass shootings at Virginia Tech. That coverage also earned the station and Carlin an Emmy, a Virginia Associated Press award and an Edward R. Murrow Award.
“John Carlin’s legacy is unparalleled as a well-respected, beloved member of the WSLS team for more than 20 years,” said Warren Fiihr, the vice president and general manager of WSLS-NBC10. “As he steps down from the anchor desk, we feel fortunate to have Jay Warren ready to assume his duties. Jay has been working closely with John and Karen for more than a decade now, and he’s uniquely qualified to continue delivering the news that Southwest Virginians trust,” Fiihr.
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