Bob Costner joined Spectrum News in November 2006 after over 24 years of reporting and anchoring for Triad news/talk radio station WSJS and 18 years as the news director.

Bob’s freelance reporting has included stories for CBS, NBC and the BBC, in addition to Court TV and NCNN. He’s also reported for the Associated Press and UPI and interned in WFMY-TV’s newsroom. Bob has covered newsmakers such as President Bush, country singer Willie Nelson, author Maya Angelou and North Carolina native Charles Kuralt.

Bob has won best newscast awards from the Associated Press, Electronic News Association of the Carolinas and Radio TV News Directors Association of the Carolinas. Those include Best Newscast and Spot News awards for coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Bob’s 1998 death row interview with John Noland, “Dead Man Talking,” earned him a Best Special Report Award from the RTNDAC. He was also named News Director of the Year and N.C. Radio Journalist of the Year by the RTNDAC in 1997 and is a winner of the AP’s Roy Hardee Award for the state’s top broadcast contributor.

Here are five other things you might not know about Bob:

  1. I play guitar, with a blues band and other groups. (I also play mandolin, dobro and bass. I have a short attention span). I've written and recorded music for a several documentaries. 
  2. I worked as a country music DJ for a few years. (Still love old country music). I got to meet a lot of folks like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
  3. My uncle was the sheriff in Cleveland County. I have some campaign stories...
  4. I'm a motorcycle rider, it’s an old BMW. 
  5. I love fly fishing. Catch and release only.

Email: Bob.Costner@charter.com

Twitter: @bobcostner

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