by
Al Allen
Reporter Al Allen, who was a fixture on WJBK and Fox 2 for nearly three decades, and was beloved by both viewers and colleagues, died Tuesday night at a local hospital. He was 79.
Referred to by some as the dean of the city’s street reporters, Allen reported for WJBK and Fox 2 from 1984 until his retirement in 2012. He was known for his boundless energy, professionalism and infectious smile.
In all, his journalism career spanned more than 40 years in radio and TV.
"A local legend, he innovated news coverage on WJLB radio in the 1970s and later became an iconic presence on Fox 2, covering the city’s political climate, snowy road conditions and putting a human-interest spin on the mundane," according to his bio for the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, as Andrew Long, he moved to Detroit with his family and started his reporting career at Mumford High School for the student in-house broadcast, “Spotlight on Mumford.”
In 1969, he returned to Little Rock as news director at KOKY radio. Two years later, he returned to Detroit to work as a reporter and news director at WCXI-AM and WGPR-FM, then as news and public affairs director at WJLB-FM.
Joined WJBK-TV2
In 1984, Allen joined WJBK-TV2, a CBS affiliate, which later became known as Fox 2 and a Fox affiliate.
He changed his name to Al Allen after his first radio program manager said his name wasn't catchy enough.
"Where I got Al Allen from, I have no idea," he once said.
"He worked for me from 88 to 99," said former Fox 2 news director Mort Meisner. "He was a really wonderful storyteller with great contacts in government, politics and law enforcement."
"But his favorites were absolutely, stories about regular people or what I used to say to him, telling stories about George and Martha that George and Martha could care about. He was one of the most likeable people in the newsroom."
It was no accident that Allen had lots of contacts. He worked at it. He explained during an interview with Fox 2 about a year ago that he knew the comings and goings of Mayor Coleman A. Young, thanks to the mayor's scheduler.
He said he would send her flowers and candy.
"She would tell me when Coleman went to the bathroom," he said.
During that same interview he talked about the importance of building up trust among sources. He said, for example, he agreed, at the request of some people, to hold off on reporting that Aretha Franklin had pancreatic cancer.
"I was told to shut up and don't say nothing to nobody, which I did," he said. Eventually, he said, he was told that it was OK to report. He said that helped his standing as a trustworthy person.
Former Fox 2 anchor Huel Perkins said in a text to Deadline Detroit:
"In an age in which the White House tries to declare that facts are fake, Al Allen deserves every award and accolade he’s received in his 50-year career for simply telling the truth.
"He challenged lying politicians and comforted grieving families. He was also the calm and reassuring voice that helped us all start our day and get out the door. Through every blizzard and every storm, in the freezing cold or the pouring rain, Al was always there to give us the information we needed to make our lives a little easier.
"He was beloved by his family and the thousands of people who watched him every day. I was blessed to call him my mentor and my friend."
Won Awards
Allen won local and national awards including ones from United Press International and the Associated Press for his reporting on the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa loyalist Otto Wendell.
UPI, AP and National Association of Black Journalists gave him awards for “Merry-Go-Round of Denial: The Black Alcoholic.” He also won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his work on “Crime by Color, Black on Black,” a documentary that examined the issues surrounding community crime in Detroit, according to his bio.
In 2018, he released his memoir, “We’re Standing By,” a collection of stories from his career in radio and TV.
Amy Andrews of Fox 2 posted on X that "Al Allen showed me the ropes when I first got to Fox 2 News. There was no better teacher. RIP my friend."
WDIV reporter Erica Erikson, formerly of Fox 2, posted on X:
"Sad news in the broadcasting and Metro Detroit world. Beloved former Fox 2 reporter Al Allen has passed. He was inducted into the MI Journalism Hall of Fame and was just a sweet soul. Sending love to his family. We were all so lucky to watch you and learn from you, Al!"
