[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING CHRIS CLARK'S 41-YEAR CAREER AT WTVF-CHANNEL 5

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
Chris Clark on his retirement from WTVF-Channel 5 after 41 years of 
service.
  During a segment before his retirement on Wednesday, May 23, after 
the 6 p.m. newscast, Chris seemed surprised at the outpouring of well 
wishes he received via e-mail from hundreds of viewers who considered 
him as part of their family after all the years he had been on air. 
Indeed, it's rare for a person in broadcast to stay in one place for 41 
years.
  Chris will be remembered for encouraging Channel 5 to switch from 
recorded interviews to live on-site reports, making the station only 
the second in the Nation to use the technology at that time. But he may 
be more famous for giving Oprah Winfrey her first television job in 
1974.
  Chris, I wish you well as you head into retirement. I understand you 
are a self-described movie nut and that you will soon take a well-
deserved vacation in Florida with your family. I hope you have many 
more opportunities to travel and watch movies in your unscripted life.

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