imported>JJMC89 bot III: Removing :Category:ABC News personalities per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 February 20#Category:ABC News personalities

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Removing Category:ABC News personalities per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 February 20#Category:ABC News personalities

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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{short description|American weather anchor|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Champion
| image = Sam Champion 121121-G-OD937-141 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Champion with the [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] after [[Hurricane Sandy]] in October 2012
| birthname = Samuel James Champion
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|8|13}}
| birth_place = [[Paducah, Kentucky]], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Rubem Robierb]]|2012}}
| children =
| education = [[Eastern Kentucky University]] (B.A.)
| years_active = 1988–present
| alias =
| title = [[Weather presenter]]
| occupation = Weather Anchor, Television host
}}
'''Samuel James Champion''' (born August 13, 1961) is an American [[weather presenter|weather anchor]] with [[WABC-TV]] and ''[[Good Morning America]]''. He formerly co-anchored ''[[America's Morning Headquarters|AMHQ: America's Morning Headquarters]]'' and ''23.5 Degrees With Sam Champion'' on [[The Weather Channel]].

After December 4, 2013, his final day with ABC, he became the [[managing editor]] of The Weather Channel, beginning on January 1, 2014. Champion also appeared on the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' show on [[NBC]]. After leaving NBC and the Weather Channel in 2016, he returned to ABC on a fill-in basis and returned to become the weekday morning weather anchor at WABC-TV in June 2019.

==Early life and education==
Champion was born on August 13, 1961, in [[Paducah, Kentucky]], to Sylvia and James H. Champion.<ref name=tvguide>{{cite journal| url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sam-champion/bio/268492| title=Sam Champion: Biography| journal=[[TV Guide]]| access-date=December 4, 2013| archive-date=January 5, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105074934/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sam-champion/bio/268492}}</ref> He has one sibling, sister Teresa.<ref name=tvguide /> His father, who died October 25, 2010, was a lieutenant colonel in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] who served in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite news| title=Remembering Sam Champion's Father| url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/sam-champions-father-lt-col-james-champion-passes/story?id=11972842| date=October 26, 2010| access-date=December 5, 2013| work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> He graduated from [[Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia)|Fairfax High School]] in [[Fairfax, Virginia]] in 1979. He has a B.A. in [[Broadcast journalism|broadcast news]] from [[Eastern Kentucky University]], and interned at [[WKYT-TV]] in [[Lexington, Kentucky]].<ref name=abcbio>{{cite web| title=Sam Champion's Biography| url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/sam-champion-biography/story?id=2343718| date=August 22, 2016| website=ABC News}}</ref>

==Career==
Champion worked at [[WPSD-TV]] in [[Paducah, Kentucky]], and WJKS (later [[WCWJ]]) in [[Jacksonville, Florida]]. He became a weather presenter for [[WABC-TV]]'s ''[[Eyewitness News]]'' in [[New York City]] in 1988. He went on ''[[Good Morning America]]'' at a salary in 2004 of $1.5 million per year.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://nymag.com/guides/salary/14497/index1.html| title=Who Makes How Much| journal=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=September 16, 2005| editor-first=Kate| editor-last=Pickert| access-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> On April 7, 2012, he debuted as host of ''[[Sea Rescue (TV show)|Sea Rescue]]'', an educational and informational program in [[Litton's Weekend Adventure]] that focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation, and in many instances release of animals back into wildlife.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sea Rescue |url=http://seaworldparks.com/Sea_Rescue |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411201616/http://seaworldparks.com/Sea_Rescue |archive-date=April 11, 2012 |website=[[SeaWorld]] |access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref>

In August 2006, ''Good Morning America'' announced Champion would join that show and ABC News, effective September 5, 2006.<ref name=abcbio /> Champion announced his departure from ABC on December 2, 2013, to become an on-air presence at and managing editor of [[The Weather Channel]]. His last day on ''Good Morning America'' was December 4, 2013.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/12/sam-champion-bids-farewell-to-good-morning-america/| title=Sam Champion, With Laughs and Tears, Bids Farewell to 'Good Morning America'| first=Katie| last=Kindelan| date=December 4, 2013| access-date=December 4, 2012| website=ABC News}}</ref> He was immediately replaced by [[Ginger Zee]].

He had occasionally appeared on ''[[Live with Kelly and Ryan]]'', the daily talk show produced by WABC-TV, and [[CNN]]'s ''[[Larry King Live]]''. He often begins his 30-second weathercasts by saying, "Let's get to the boards." His catchphrase when breaking for weather reports from local [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] stations is, "That's the weather around the nation. Here's what you can expect this morning."

Immediately following his departure from ''GMA'', it was announced that Champion would join [[The Weather Channel]] to host his own morning show, titled ''[[America's Morning Headquarters]]'' which debuted on March 17, 2014. In September 2015, it was revealed that Champion would leave ''AMHQ'' to serve as a contributor to its primetime programs.<ref name=ajc-amhqextend>{{cite news |title=Weather Channel's Sam Champion moving to primetime; Stephanie Abrams joining AMHQ |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/weather-channel-sam-champion-moving-primetime-stephanie-abrams-joining-amhq/rRms0dLJX0HrmpClb80EDN/ |newspaper=[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |first=Rodney |last=Ho |date=September 9, 2015 |access-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> In December 2016, Champion and The Weather Channel decided not to renew their contract. As a result, Champion left the company on December 27, 2016.<ref name=dl>{{cite news |last1=de Moraes |first1=Lisa |title=Sam Champion Says So Long To Weather Channel |url=https://deadline.com/2016/12/sam-champion-leaves-weather-channel-1201876085/ |access-date=May 23, 2019 |journal=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=December 27, 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

He returned to ABC as a fill-in weather forecaster on ''Good Morning America'' during the maternity leave of Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee, his replacement.<ref name=dl/> On May 22, 2019, it was announced that Champion would be returning to WABC-TV's morning and noon newscasts and contributing to ABC News, beginning June 3, 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/sam-champion-returns-wabc-good-morning-america-1203223785/ |title=Sam Champion Returns to Disney's WABC |newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 22, 2019 |access-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref>

On September 8, 2022, Champion was announced as a contestant on [[Dancing with the Stars (American season 31)|season 31]] of [[Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)|''Dancing with the Stars'']]. He is partnered with [[Cheryl Burke]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Dancing with the Stars: Teresa Giudice, Wayne Brady, Selma Blair and More Celebs Join Season 31 |url=https://people.com/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-season-31-cast-reveal/ |access-date=February 5, 2023 |first=Christina Dugan |last=Ramirez |date=September 8, 2022 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Champion is active in charitable organizations in the [[New York metropolitan area]]. He was the Grand Marshal of the [[National Multiple Sclerosis Society|Multiple Sclerosis Society]] Fall Bike Tour, the chairman of the 25th annual [[March of Dimes]] NYC WalkAmerica, and master of ceremonies of "Stopping AIDS Together," a part of Sunday by the Bay. He hosted the New York City Anti-Violence Project's 2002 "Courage Awards," along with movie critic [[Frank DeCaro]].<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Nueva%20gay%20island.-a0135580223| title= Nueva gay island| journal=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]| date=August 30, 2005| first=Drew| last=Limsky| access-date=March 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.avp.org/publications/media/2002courageawards.htm| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030503013700/http://www.avp.org/publications/media/2002courageawards.htm| date=October 22, 2002| archive-date=May 3, 2003| title=AVP to Hold Sixth Annual Courage Awards| website=Anti-Violence Project| access-date=March 17, 2012}}</ref>

In May 2010, Champion had a [[basal cell carcinoma]] removed from his skin while on air, after previous bouts with the disease. He said he wanted to raise awareness about [[skin cancer]] during Cancer Awareness Month.<ref>{{cite news| title=Sam Champion will have cancerous spot removed from shoulder live on ABC's 'Good Morning America'| url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sam-champion-cancerous-spot-removed-shoulder-live-abc-good-morning-america-article-1.445100| newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]| date=May 12, 2010| last=Huff| first=Richard| access-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref>

Champion and his partner of several years, [[Rubem Robierb]], were married on December 21, 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2012/12/21/sam-champion-marries-partner-ruben-robierb/1785985/| title='GMA' anchor Sam Champion marries his partner| first=Andrea| last=Mandell| newspaper=[[USA Today]]| date=December 21, 2012}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[LGBT culture in New York City]]
* [[List of LGBT people from New York City]]
* [[New Yorkers in journalism]]
* [[NYC Pride March]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Champion, Sam}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American television weather presenters]]
[[Category:Eastern Kentucky University alumni]]
[[Category:American gay men]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ broadcasters]]
[[Category:Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia) alumni]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from Kentucky]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Managing editors]]
[[Category:People from Paducah, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Television anchors from New York City]]
[[Category:The Weather Channel people]]

Sam Champion - Revision history

imported>JJMC89 bot III: Removing :Category:ABC News personalities per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 February 20#Category:ABC News personalities