Al Roker

Al Roker PR shot

Albert Lincoln Roker (born August 20, 1954) is an American television broadcaster, best known as the meterologist for NBC's Today show.

Born in Queens, New York, Roker attended Xavier High School in Manhattan. Later, he began his weathercasting career while he was a student at the State University of New York at Oswego. Roker worked in Syracuse, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., before returning to New York in 1983 where he started as weekend weather for local station WNBC and backup weatherman for then WNBC chief meteorologist Frank Field and one year later in 1984 rose to chief meteorologist at WNBC-TV when Frank Field left to join WCBS. Roker became the weekend weatherman for NBC News's Sunday Today show in 1987 and NBC News's Saturday Today show in 1992 roles he kept until he went to the weekday Today show full time in 1996, while keeping his WNBC duties. In 1994, the Today show weatherman Willard Scott stopped working on Fridays, and Roker replaced Scott on the Friday edtions of Today. In 1995, Scott stoped working on Mondays, and Roker replaced Scott on the Monday edtions of Today as well. Roker also filled in for Joe Witte on the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1983 to 1996. In 1996, he replaced Willard Scott as the full-time weekday weatherman and left WNBC'S 6 and 11 pm newscast where he was replaced by Janice Huff. Roker stayed on WNBC'S Live at Five for four more years, and left WNBC in 2000 when Janice Huff replaced Roker on Live at Five. He holds American Meteorological Society Television Seal 238. In 2002, the animated series, The Proud Family, he was portrayed as a genie-like creature who grants wishes at a horrible price. In 2003, he lent his voice to the intrepid reporter Sam Vander Rom in the math-mystery cartoon Cyberchase on PBS Kids GO! , appearing in three episodes, including The Wedding Scammer, which is a send-up of annual wedding on Today.

Roker has hosted numerous events for NBC since 1994, including Christmas at Rockefeller Center since 1997 and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1994, and produced several programs for PBS, MSNBC, CNBC, and the Food Network. He is also the author of several non-fiction books, and an avid barbecue enthusiast. Roker has also filled in for Katie Couric and Matt Lauer as co-host of The Today Show. Roker also filled in for Jack Ford as co-host of the Sunday Today show on father's day in 1999 which was the first time that Roker acted as anchor of a Today show program.

In 2001 Roker had a knee operation. In 2002 in accordance with his late father's wish, Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, which he said he did after failing at numerous diets. Eight months after the surgery, the New York Daily News reported he dropped 100 pounds (45 kg) off his 320-pound figure. In 2005 Roker had a back operation.

His wife is fellow journalist Deborah Roberts, who has done reporting for both ABC and NBC where she met Roker when she first joined the network in 1990 as a reporter. At that time, Roker was a weatherman for WNBC'S Live at Five, 6, and 11pm newscasts. They both worked together on Today from 1990-1995 with Roberts filling in for Faith Daniels, Marget Larson, and Matt Lauer at the Newsdesk and Roker filling in for Willard Scott as the weatherman.

Stars in the internet flash game Al Roker and the Escape from the Haunted House (or, for short, Al Roker's Haunted House).

Roker also hosts various programs on The Food Channel, namely "Roker on the Road" and "Tricked-Out Tailgating." He is known for his jovial personality and good-natured wit.

References

Connor, Tracy. (November 17, 2002). "Stars put fat-fighting surgery in the spotlight". New York Daily News, p. 10.

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