Mel Showers: Tribute to legendary Mobile ‘voice of calm’ news anchor

This is an opinion tribute cartoon.

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The City of Mobile has lost one of its most cherished figures. For nearly 50 years, Mobile native Mel Showers of WKRG-TV brought warmth, professionalism, and a smile into our homes.

Like many in the Mobile community, I had the joy of encountering Showers in public over the years. It always felt like catching up with an old friend. He greeted everyone with that familiar smile and a twinkle in his eye, making each day a little brighter.

But his journey wasn’t always as effortless as he made it seem.

From Heather Gann’s report on AL.com:

“The family at this time requests privacy and prayers and will release arrangements at a later time,” the Showers family stated to News 5.

Showers began his career at WKRG-TV in 1969 as a part-time booth announcer and became a full-time employee in 1970. 

When WKRG decided to integrate its newsroom, they knew they needed a very special person for the role. As the Alabama Broadcasters Association noted, their search led them to an English professor at Bishop State Community College. The station sought someone with not only the right personality but also the ability to navigate a challenging transition. Mel’s military intelligence training, combined with his broadcast experience and FCC license, made him an outstanding choice.

In 1974, Showers became a “Newscenter 5” reporter, covering stories on racial inequity and breaking news in Mobile. By 1981, he was co-anchoring Morning Newscenter 5, and in 1990, he took on the evening newscasts.

“I had a good support system from the station,” Showers once shared with the Alabama Broadcasters Association. “They told me not to worry about the negative calls and to just do my job… if I was sitting next to a white co-anchor, I asked them not to touch me on air; people were not ready for that.”

In that same interview, he reflected on how maintaining a positive attitude and a smile helped him navigate his career over the years.