Tuned In : Tales, tunes & triumphs of my life, my family and my 57-year career in broadcasting

John Wilson has been called an “American Treasure” as one of the most well-respected and revered television journalists of his era as he reflects on his award-winning 57-year career in broadcasting. From the advice given to him by Edward R. Murrow, his time interviewing President Reagan at the White House, reporting on the Gulf War with General Norman Schwarzkopf, going undercover in Cuba and skydiving with the Special Operations Command, his stories and reflections on thriving in the golden age of broadcast news are direct and compelling and features a surprising influence.

For decades, John was welcomed into viewer’s homes in Norfolk, VA, Charlotte, NC, St. Louis, MO, and finally the Tampa Bay area where he retired in 2014 known as the “Walter Cronkite” of Tampa Bay television. From his most humble beginnings in the backwoods of his mountain home in Southwestern Virginia as a little boy yearning for hitting the big time on television, this book is John’s personal retrospective of his eventful and decorated career. While viewers tuned in to him as he delivered the news nightly, he shares that he’s the one who was tuned in to something else that shaped his successful career and loving family.

A portion of sales from this book will be donated to The Wilson Family Foundation, Inc., a non-profit foundation the author started in 2015 with his wife and three grown sons that supports children with special needs, veterans and first responders and promotes the arts through college scholarships.

Kelly Ring started at WTVT in 1985 and quickly became an integral part of their news broadcast. The Emmy Award-winning journalist spent 37 years covering local, national and international news, sometimes traveling abroad to distant places like Saudi Arabia and Russia to give first-hand reports. She compassionately brought us tough stories about war, disease, and violence. She was there when Tampa celebrated victories and cheered with us during city-wide celebrations like Gasparilla. She was a consummate professional and a modest and faithful reporter who retired from Fox 13 in 2022 to spend more time with family.