Legendary WBIR Anchor Bill Williams Dies at 91

Bill Williams, a beloved news anchor and trusted journalist for WBIR in Knoxville, Tennessee, has died at the age of 91. Williams anchored the station's evening newscasts for over two decades, from 1977 until his retirement in 2000, and was known for his integrity, compassion, and dedication to the East Tennessee community. He launched the 'Monday’s Child' segment in 1980, which helped more than 1,000 children, many with special needs, find adoptive families. Williams was also one of the first local reporters to cover the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1987, a cause personal to him as one of his sons was diagnosed that year. His impact extended beyond journalism, earning him the renaming of the street outside WBIR as Bill Williams Avenue and the declaration of March 22 as Bill Williams Day in Knoxville. Colleagues and community leaders remember him as a mentor, a force of nature, and a gold standard in journalism who truly embodied WBIR’s motto, 'Straight from the Heart.'