Ron Hunter Passes Away

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Posted by chicagomedia.org on June 27, 2008 at 10:07:08:

In Reply to: A "tribute" to Ron Hunter posted by chicagomedia.org on June 27, 2008 at 07:25:00:

High-profile broadcast journalist Ron Hunter passes away in Las Vegas

Ron Hunter, a distinctive presence on the New Orleans airwaves in several decades, was found dead Tuesday in his home in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nev. He was 70.

WWL-Channel 4, for which Mr. Hunter served as news anchor and reporter from 1967 to 1972, reported Mr. Hunter's death Wednesday on its Web site. Mr. Hunter's daughter, Allison Hunter, said Wednesday night that the cause of her father's death has not been determined but is believed to be natural causes.

Born William Siegelin in 1938 into a Bogalusa newspaper family, he began work as a broadcast newsman while still a teenager. He briefly attended Tulane University but dropped out to pursue a radio career.

After his stint at WWL, Mr. Hunter worked in high-profile newscasting jobs in Buffalo, N.Y.; Miami; Chicago and Philadelphia.

In Chicago, he anchored with Jane Pauley before she departed local news for the "Today" show, and Maury Povich, who would later gain fame in syndicated daytime TV.

At the height of his success in Chicago, Mr. Hunter earned a six-figure salary and was picked as the Chicago Father's Day Council's 1977 father of the year.

He returned to New Orleans in 1981 to work for WVUE-TV, then the city's ABC affiliate, gaining notoriety for his cocksure presence and flamboyant reportorial stunts. He was eventually promoted to news director at WVUE and granted a rich contract, but he later sued the station after an acrimonious departure.

Mr. Hunter's personal and public personas tragically collided in 1990, when his wife, Marilou "Bunny" Hunter, shot and killed herself while lying next to him in bed, hours after she placed an anonymous call to Mr. Hunter's radio show to discuss their marital troubles. The death was ruled a suicide.

He later worked in local radio and created the "Stars and Shields" program (later "New Orleans Most Wanted"), which aired on WNOL-TV.

Allison Hunter said her father retired to the Las Vegas area in 1998.

Ron Hunter is survived by his daughter, Allison Hunter of Baton Rouge, and his son, Colt Hunter of Henderson.

(New Orleans Times-Picayune)

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: High-profile broadcast journalist Ron Hunter passes away in Las Vegas : : Ron Hunter, a distinctive presence on the New Orleans airwaves in several decades, was found dead Tuesday in his home in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nev. He was 70. : WWL-Channel 4, for which Mr. Hunter served as news anchor and reporter from 1967 to 1972, reported Mr. Hunter's death Wednesday on its Web site. Mr. Hunter's daughter, Allison Hunter, said Wednesday night that the cause of her father's death has not been determined but is believed to be natural causes. : Born William Siegelin in 1938 into a Bogalusa newspaper family, he began work as a broadcast newsman while still a teenager. He briefly attended Tulane University but dropped out to pursue a radio career. : After his stint at WWL, Mr. Hunter worked in high-profile newscasting jobs in Buffalo, N.Y.; Miami; Chicago and Philadelphia. : In Chicago, he anchored with Jane Pauley before she departed local news for the "Today" show, and Maury Povich, who would later gain fame in syndicated daytime TV. : At the height of his success in Chicago, Mr. Hunter earned a six-figure salary and was picked as the Chicago Father's Day Council's 1977 father of the year. : He returned to New Orleans in 1981 to work for WVUE-TV, then the city's ABC affiliate, gaining notoriety for his cocksure presence and flamboyant reportorial stunts. He was eventually promoted to news director at WVUE and granted a rich contract, but he later sued the station after an acrimonious departure. : Mr. Hunter's personal and public personas tragically collided in 1990, when his wife, Marilou "Bunny" Hunter, shot and killed herself while lying next to him in bed, hours after she placed an anonymous call to Mr. Hunter's radio show to discuss their marital troubles. The death was ruled a suicide. : He later worked in local radio and created the "Stars and Shields" program (later "New Orleans Most Wanted"), which aired on WNOL-TV. : Allison Hunter said her father retired to the Las Vegas area in 1998. : Ron Hunter is survived by his daughter, Allison Hunter of Baton Rouge, and his son, Colt Hunter of Henderson. : (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

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