1. Leon Harris was born on April 20,1961 and is an former American journalist and newscaster with NBC owned-and-operated WRC-TV in Washington, DC Harris formerly anchored at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, and at Washington, DC ABC affiliate WJLA-TV.
16 Facts About Leon Harris
1. 2.
Leon Harris received an honorary Doctorate from the university in 1999.
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Leon Harris started his career at CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta in the early 1980s as an unpaid intern while completing his degree.
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Leon Harris auditioned for an anchor position during summer 1991; a few months later he was given a full-time anchor post.
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Leon Harris received numerous awards at CNN, including several Emmy Awards for his coverage of the 2000 presidential election, the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11th attacks.
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However, as competition increased from Fox News, and CNN veterans such as Natalie Allen and Lou Waters were pink-slipped in favor of Paula Zahn and Aaron Brown, Leon Harris felt less comfortable.
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In July 2003, Leon Harris signed a deal with the Washington, DC ABC affiliate WJLA-TV to anchor that station's 5 o'clock and 11 o'clock newscasts.
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In 2006, Leon Harris received the 2006 local Emmy award for Best Anchor.
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In 2013, Leon Harris was profiled for surviving two brushes with death, due to necrotizing pancreatitis.
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In December 2024, NBC4 Washington announced that Leon Harris was taking a medical leave of absence following a recent broadcast during which he appeared unwell.
11.
Leon Harris will be stepping away from the anchor desk to focus on health issues.
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Leon Harris has three brothers: Marcus, Jerry, and James who still reside in Akron; and a sister, Kimberly, who lives in Houston.
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Leon Harris's son Darren lives in Seattle, WA while his daughter Lauren is an early childhood educator who lives in Atlanta, GA.
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In 2013, Leon Harris was charged with driving under the influence in Montgomery County, Maryland, to which he pleaded guilty.
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Leon Harris received probation before judgment and served six months' probation, ending in September 2014.
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On January 29,2022, Leon Harris was arrested and charged with driving under the influence following a crash in Montgomery County.