Wyff 70th Anniversary

Floor Speech

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Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today not just as a South Carolinian but also as co-chair of the Broadcasters Caucus to celebrate the 70th anniversary of WYFF News 4.

Known originally as WFBC, the station started broadcasting on December 31, 1953. The first anchor for the station was Norvin Duncan who worked for WFBC radio before joining the newly created WFBC-TV.

Channel 4 was the first broadcaster in South Carolina to televise a live game, which was a basketball game between Furman and Newberry Colleges.

By the 1970s, technology had advanced, and WYFF's staff had to increase as well to ensure accurate, timely news for upstate South Carolina, Georgia, and western North Carolina.

WYFF was also the first station in South Carolina to have an African- American anchor when Deborah Lee began anchoring ``The Scene at 6.''

For 70 years, WYFF news has kept the upstate informed on innumerable local events, heartwarming stories, storms, and national emergencies.

WYFF has even lost staff members in the field who were just working to keep citizens informed as storms raged. I remember specifically Mike McCormick and Aaron Smeltzer who passed away in 2018.

I thank Carol, Nigel, Jane, and the rest of the WYFF team for continuing the station's legacy. I look forward to the next 70 years of WYFF keeping the upstate informed and safe with local, live, and breaking news.

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