Central Florida News 13 anchor Scott Harris, whose broadcast career spanned 40 years, died Monday of kidney cancer. He was 64.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Like many journalists, I knew Scott Harris on the beat.
Not in the news anchor's seat, which he held in the latter part of his career, but as a reporter covering breaking news when he was with Channel 6 and I was with the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
He seemed to enjoy politics far more than crime reporting, my first love.
Harris was an excellent journalist, but he did have one bad habit that I am sure he would take back in a second: Smoking.
I don't know if he quit had quit since then, and it's probably politically incorrect to bring it up now, but I'm sure Harris would want others to try and quit so they could live a longer life. Harris died of kidney cancer, which claimed his life at 64.
His career spanned 40 years, all of them in the Central Florida TV market.
Harris helped launch Central Florida News 13 in 1997 and was one of its original anchors. He also worked at radio station WDBO AM 580, WESH-Channel 2 and at then-WCPX-Channel 6 (now WKMG).
I particularly liked Harris' Sunday show on Central Florida News 13 called "The agenda," so much so that I created my own version for NSBNews.net's opinion page, except that our's is in written format, though occasionally we do use videos.
Central Florida News 13 General Manager Robin Smythe said of Harris in a memo to employees, "Scott's family and friends are working on the details of the service now, but you can bet there will be lots of laughter, good stories and love."
A public memorial service has since been set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at Bourne Chapel at Lake High Middle School, 741 N. Mills Ave., Orlando.
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