WSMV loses veteran anchor

From WSMV:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Longtime WSMV-TV anchor Dan Miller died Wednesday night of a heart attack in his hometown of Augusta, Ga., at the age of 67.

Miller was in Augusta to watch practice rounds of the Masters Golf Tournament with fellow friends and longtime co-workers Terry Bulger and Rudy Kalis.

Miller had anchored evening newscasts for Channel 4 since the 1970s. For a short time, he worked in Los Angeles TV news and was Pat Sajak’s sidekick for a short-lived late-night talk show Sajak did on CBS-TV. He returned to WSMV-TV in the mid 1990s.

“I can’t begin to describe the grief and sadness I feel…Dan was an extraordinarily caring and talented man. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life,” said Sajak. 

Miller, born in 1941, was the recipient of multiple Emmy Awards, was voted Best News Anchor in Nashville more than 20 times and recognized by Television/Radio Age as the Most Popular News Anchor in the United States. 

Services have not been planned at this time.

The following is a statement from WSMV General Manager Elden Hale:

“Our friend and co-worker Dan Miller passed away last night. He had been to the Master’s yesterday with his long-time friends Rudy Kalis and Terry Bulger. It had been a good day with best friends walking the Augusta course for the practice round. Dan and Rudy were walking the streets of Augusta, which was Dan’s hometown, late last night when Dan suffered a heart attack and died. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Karen and daughters McKensie, Jennifer and Darcy and son Stephan. 

Dan Miller anchored the news for a lifetime here at Channel 4, but more than that, Dan was the anchor of Channel 4. His face and voice informed and comforted our viewers. His smile and laugh comforted his friends. 

Dan will be missed in ways we can not imagine today, but he will also be remembered for all he meant to all of us. We know, because Rudy and Terry tell us, that Dan was having the time of his life yesterday. It was a great day Terry says. And as all of us know, any day spent with Dan was a great day. 

We will miss Dan, but all of us have been enriched by his life, and for that we can be truly grateful. 

Elden Hale