Courtis Fuller

Courtis Fuller is a Hall of Fame broadcast journalist with a career that’s spanned nearly 44 years. Most of that time, 35 years, has been spent as a news anchor for the Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT-TV.

In 2023 he was inducted into the inaugural class of the WLWT Hall of Fame. He is a multi-Emmy award winner and a 2021 inductee in the prestigious Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Silver Circle, an honor for television professionals who have made lasting contributions to the industry and to the community for 25 or more years.

He has received countless awards for his excellence in journalism and his tireless community service, including multiple Emmy Awards. He is one of the first journalists inducted into the Central Florida Association of Black Journalists and Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He’s been recognized by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, the Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, United Press International, the Orlando Press Club and the Cleveland Press Club.

In 2022 Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution recognizing his broadcasting career and contributions to the city. In 2021 the Hamilton County Commission named a day in his honor. He is the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award and in 2022 he received the distinguished Glorifying The Lion Award from The Urban League. The YMCA presented him with its Legend Award. He was named one of Cincinnati’s Men of Honor and once voted Cincinnati's Favorite TV Personality.

Consistently, Courtis has shown his leadership and commitment. He issued the proposal to Cincinnati City Council that led to an inner-city street being renamed in honor of high school honor student Derrick Turnbow, who was shot and killed. He led the effort to have the City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Reds honor the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's entrance into Major League Baseball. He also conceived and produced an eight-day Cincinnati Jazz and Heritage Festival.

In 2001 Courtis stepped away from the familiar anchor desk to demonstrate his commitment once again to Cincinnati. He gained international attention as a political newcomer by winning the primary election in his bid to become the first directly elected mayor of Cincinnati in 75 years. He received a respectable 45 percent of the vote in the general election.

He returned to WLWT-TV in July 2003 after hosting his own talk show on WCIN radio. He is a much sought-after speaker and the longtime host for dozens of events, including the MLK Jr. Coalition King Day, Opera Goes to Church, Community action Agency, Council of Christian Communions, Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, NAACP Freedom Fund, Cincinnati Human Relations, and Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion.

He is currently an advisory board member for the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation and an honorary member of the Cincinnati Opera Board. Previously he served as a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Board, the Greater Cincinnati Tall Stacks Commission, the U.S. Department of Education's Back-to-School National Advisory Board, and The Executive Board of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Courtis is always looking for ways to serve his community, so in 2010, a scholarship was established in his name to help young aspiring journalists achieve their dream. For more information contact the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation at www.cincinnatischolarshipfoundation.org.

“Journalism is a mirror that society holds up to itself. I strive to make sure there are diverse perspectives to the voices heard and the images seen in the media. Fulfillment comes by following the advice of one of my mentors, longtime Cincinnati broadcaster Ernest Waits Sr. He always reminded me that journalists must be change agents and truth seekers through their reporting and community connectedness because everyone has a story.”

Let your light so shine that others may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)