Fred Hickman
Encyclopedia
Fred Hickman is an American
sports broadcaster
who has had stints with CNN
, TBS, YES Network
, and ESPN
. Born and raised in Springfield, Illinois
, he graduated Coe College
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
in 1978, joining as an original co-host of the CNN
show Sports Tonight
in 1980. He received CableACE awards in 1989 and 1993, and was a New York Sports Emmy Award Winner in 2004.
to George Henry and Louise Winifred Hickman. He graduated from Springfield Southeast High School in 1974, then attended Coe College
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
from 1974 to 1978, where he earned a B.S. in sociology
. While there he worked at the low power KCOE-FM radio station.
career as a news anchor at KLWW-AM in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
. After leaving Coe College, Hickman moved back to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois
to work at the radio station WFMB-AM, where he was responsible for playing country music
. In February of 1978, at age 22, Hickman became an anchor and sports director of the Springfield television station WICS-TV
. He stayed there until May of 1980.
company Turner Broadcasting System
(TBS) in Atlanta, Georgia
, working with Nick Charles
as part of a four-person sports department for the company's Cable News Network CNN
. The duo took to the air on June 1, 1980, as hosts of CNN Sports Tonight
, a nightly sports wrap-up show in which Hickman and Charles reported scores and events, showed highlights of college and professional games, and selected a "Play of the Day." The show was a nightly rival to ESPN's SportsCenter
, which Hickman later joined.
In 1984, Hickman briefly left CNN to serve as a sports anchor for WDIV, the NBC
affiliate in Detroit, Michigan
. He served as an anchor, a "beat reporter" for the MLB
's Detroit Tigers
, and a boxing specialist from June of 1984 to May 1985.
In November of 1986, he returned to the TBS to serve as a co-anchor with Nick Charles for CNN/Sports Illustrated
. He remained with CNN until September of 2001, and while there served as host for both the NBA
and NFL
pre-game and post-game shows, a commentator on the Atlanta Hawks
, and a co-host of the Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France in 1992, the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994, and the 1994 Goodwill Games
in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1999, Hickman was part of a news story when he reported on the millennium celebrations in New York during CNN's coverage of the event.
Hickman also served as a Master of Ceremonies, speaker and guest panelist at the Butkus award and the Eddie Robinson Award
as well as narrator for TBS
’s contribution to Bob Ballard’s National Geographic specials, including the recovery of the Titanic.
During this tenure, Hickman caused a minor controversy when he cast his first place vote for the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player Award
for Allen Iverson
. Hickman was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote that year for Shaquille O'Neal
, thus preventing O'Neal from claiming the honor of being the first unanimous MVP selection in the history of the award. Iverson finished seventh in the voting.
for its 2002 launch. He was their original anchor, hosting the pre-game and the post-game shows for New York Yankees
telecasts. While there he hosted pre-game and post-game shows for New Jersey Nets
cablecasts, as well as the weekly Yankees Magazine. He remained at YES until November of 2004.
in Bristol, Connecticut
. During his tenure at ESPN, Hickman hosted ESPN's flagship shows including SportsCenter
, Baseball Tonight
, ESPN Classic
, NBA Shoot Around, and NBA Coast to Coast
. He also appeared as a fill-in host on ESPN radio and briefly hosted ESPNEWS
. Hickman left the network in May 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports broadcaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
who has had stints with CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, TBS, YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
, and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Born and raised in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, he graduated Coe College
Coe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
in 1978, joining as an original co-host of the CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
show Sports Tonight
Sports Tonight (CNN)
Sports Tonight was a show that aired on CNN from 1980 to 2001, and on CNNSI from December 12, 1996 to the station's demise on May 15, 2002. It normally aired at 11 p.m. ET.-The early years:...
in 1980. He received CableACE awards in 1989 and 1993, and was a New York Sports Emmy Award Winner in 2004.
Early life, education
Hickman was born on October 17, 1956 in Springfield, IllinoisSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
to George Henry and Louise Winifred Hickman. He graduated from Springfield Southeast High School in 1974, then attended Coe College
Coe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
from 1974 to 1978, where he earned a B.S. in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. While there he worked at the low power KCOE-FM radio station.
Career
In 1977, Hickman began his professional radio broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
career as a news anchor at KLWW-AM in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. After leaving Coe College, Hickman moved back to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
to work at the radio station WFMB-AM, where he was responsible for playing country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. In February of 1978, at age 22, Hickman became an anchor and sports director of the Springfield television station WICS-TV
WICS
WICS is the ABC-affiliated television station for Springfield and Decatur, Illinois. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter south of Dawson and I-72/US 36. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 2 and Suddenlink channel 10...
. He stayed there until May of 1980.
CNN and TBS
In 1980 Hickman joined the young cable televisionCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
company Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
(TBS) in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, working with Nick Charles
Nick Charles
Nicholas Charles Nickeas , better known as Nick Charles, was an American sportscaster and journalist. He was one of CNN's first on-air personalities and won three CableACE Awards for best sports program during his 17-year tenure as co-host of the network's Sports Tonight...
as part of a four-person sports department for the company's Cable News Network CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. The duo took to the air on June 1, 1980, as hosts of CNN Sports Tonight
Sports Tonight (CNN)
Sports Tonight was a show that aired on CNN from 1980 to 2001, and on CNNSI from December 12, 1996 to the station's demise on May 15, 2002. It normally aired at 11 p.m. ET.-The early years:...
, a nightly sports wrap-up show in which Hickman and Charles reported scores and events, showed highlights of college and professional games, and selected a "Play of the Day." The show was a nightly rival to ESPN's SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
, which Hickman later joined.
In 1984, Hickman briefly left CNN to serve as a sports anchor for WDIV, the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He served as an anchor, a "beat reporter" for the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, and a boxing specialist from June of 1984 to May 1985.
In November of 1986, he returned to the TBS to serve as a co-anchor with Nick Charles for CNN/Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. He remained with CNN until September of 2001, and while there served as host for both the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
pre-game and post-game shows, a commentator on the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, and a co-host of the Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France in 1992, the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994, and the 1994 Goodwill Games
1994 Goodwill Games
The 1994 Goodwill Games was the third edition of the multi-sport event, created by Ted Turner, which was held in Saint Petersburg, Russia between July 23 and August 7, 1994...
in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1999, Hickman was part of a news story when he reported on the millennium celebrations in New York during CNN's coverage of the event.
Hickman also served as a Master of Ceremonies, speaker and guest panelist at the Butkus award and the Eddie Robinson Award
Eddie Robinson Award
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The award was established by The Sports Network in 1987 and is voted upon by the division's sports information directors and selected sports writers...
as well as narrator for TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
’s contribution to Bob Ballard’s National Geographic specials, including the recovery of the Titanic.
During this tenure, Hickman caused a minor controversy when he cast his first place vote for the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player Award
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
for Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
. Hickman was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote that year for Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, thus preventing O'Neal from claiming the honor of being the first unanimous MVP selection in the history of the award. Iverson finished seventh in the voting.
YES Network
Hickman left Atlanta in October of 2001 to join the New York City-based YES NetworkYES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
for its 2002 launch. He was their original anchor, hosting the pre-game and the post-game shows for New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
telecasts. While there he hosted pre-game and post-game shows for New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
cablecasts, as well as the weekly Yankees Magazine. He remained at YES until November of 2004.
ESPN
In late 2004, after the completion of three baseball seasons and two NBA seasons with the YES network, Hickman left to join ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
. During his tenure at ESPN, Hickman hosted ESPN's flagship shows including SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
, Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
, ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
, NBA Shoot Around, and NBA Coast to Coast
NBA Coast to Coast
NBA Coast to Coast is a weekly NBA-themed studio program which airs Tuesday nights on ESPN2. -Format:...
. He also appeared as a fill-in host on ESPN radio and briefly hosted ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
. Hickman left the network in May 2008.