Bobbie Battista
Former CNN anchor Bobbie Battista has passed away at the age of 67, according to a family spokeswoman.
Battista passed away on Tuesday morning, March 3, 2020, after a four-year battle with cervical cancer, according to Wendy Guarisco, family spokeswoman.
Battista was one of the original CNN Headline News anchors when the network launched in 1981. But she began her broadcasting career with Capitol Broadcasting.
Anchoring WRAL-TV
Barbara Ann Bobbie Battista was a producer, on-air host and primary evening news anchor at WRAL-TV from 1974 to 1981.
Battista joined WRAL-TV in 1974 as a secretary, but she quickly convinced station management to put her on the air in 1976. She produced and anchored the WRAL morning news and other special programming until 1977, when she joined Charlie Gaddy on the stations 6:00 and 11:00 oclock news. Gaddy and Battista formed the first male-female anchor team in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville television market.
Over the next four years WRAL achieved ratings dominance and in late 1981 Bobbie answered Ted Turners call to join a start-up cable network known as CNN. She was hired as one of the original anchors on CNN Headline News, but by 1986 Battista moved to CNNs flagship cable channel where she became one of the networks most recognizable stars.
During this time at CNN Battista also anchored a daily program for CNN International, making her the only anchor in CNN history to work at all three CNN networks. In 1998 Battista was chosen to host televisions first daily interactive talk show Talkback Live.
CBC HISTORY VIDEO
Battista was interviewed by WRAL News anchor David Crabtree in 2006 for the 50th Anniversary of WRAL-TV. The video is raw footage from one camera angle and had not been edited showing the other camera angles. That is why you will see quick camera adjustments.
VIDEO: Bobbie Battista WRAL News anchor
Working at CNN
Battista anchored several news programs on CNN including TalkBack Live.
TalkBack Live aired before a studio audience in the CNN Center in Atlanta featuring newsmakers and public participation.
In 2001, Battista said that in her 20 years at CNN she best remembered some of the difficult moments in history that she covered as an anchor
Whether the Challenger explosion, the assassination attack on Reagan, the Gulf War, certainly this terrorist attack. Those were memorable from the anchor desk. As far as TalkBack, we've had some serious shows, and some fun shows. If I had to pick, I'd say I liked Free for All Fridays the best, Battista said.
In 1981, Battista was the writer and assistant producer for Fed up with Fear, a five-station documentary that won a George Foster Peabody Award. She was nominated for an On Cable magazine award, an award voted on by cable viewers, as Outstanding News Personality of 1984. Battista was voted Best Newscaster in Cable Guide magazines annual readers poll in 1986, and, in 1995, she was nominated for a CableACE award for Best Newscaster. Battista also was featured on Home & Garden Televisions (HGTV) one-hour prime-time special that features the design styles of some of Americas most recognized and respected broadcast journalists. Battista is a member of Women in Communications and Sigma Delta Chi. She has been a guest lecturer at universities, organizations and conventions worldwide.
More From WRAL.com
WRAL.com: Former WRAL anchor, CNN veteran Bobbie Battista dies after cancer battle
WRAL.com: Former CNN anchor Bobbie Battista dead at 67
Bobbie Battista came to WRAL-TV in 2006 for a special 50th anniversary newscast.
Legendary WRAL-TV anchor team together again for special 50th anniversary newscast in 2006: (l to r) Bob Debardelaben, Charlie Gaddy, Bobbie Battista & Tom Suiter.
From the WRAL-TV Archives: Bobbie Battista at WRAL in 1975.
Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy are celebrated on the news set by WRAL anchors in 2006 for the special 50th anniversary newscast.
Bobbie Battista at the CNN Anchor Desk.
Charlie Gaddy and Bobbie Battista at the WRAL-TV Anchor Desk.
From the WRAL-TV Archives: Bobbie Battista (l to r), Charlie Gaddy & Bob DeBardelaben at the WRAL-TV Anchor Desk.
Late 70s early 80s WRAL anchor team of Bob DeBardelaben (from left, counter-clockwise), Rich Brenner, Charlie Gaddy and Bobbie Battista.
Bobbie Battista
Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy lead election coverage for WRAL-TV in 1980.
Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy come to WRAL-TV in 2006 for the special 50th anniversary newscast.
Bobbie Battista chats with WRAL-TVs Jay Jennings during a reception following the special WRAL-TV 50th Reunion Newscast in 2006.
Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy at the WRAL-TV anchor desk for the special 50th anniversary newscast in 2006.
Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy (center) share a secret on the news set with Tom Suiter in 2006 for the special 50th anniversary newscast.
Bobbie Battista chats with WRAL-TVs Jay Jennings during a reception following the special WRAL-TV 50th Reunion Newscast in 2006.
Legendary WRAL-TV anchor team, including Bobbie Battista (seated 2nd from left) together again for special 50th anniversary newscast in 2006.
From the WRAL-TV Archives: Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy at the WRAL-TV Anchor Desk.
Legendary WRAL-TV anchor team together again for special 50th anniversary newscast in 2006: (l to r) Bob Debardelaben, Charlie Gaddy, Bobbie Battista & Tom Suiter.
Former @WRAL @CNN anchor Bobbie Battista has passed away at age 67. She left a lasting legacy everywhere she went. Our thoughts are with her family. 1/2 https://t.co/OlJ1TVn6LJ
Capitol Broadcasting (@CBCCorporate) March 3, 2020
Thanks to WRAL-TV and CNN for contributions to this capcom story.
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
14/07/2025
The Royal Moroccan Air Force hosted a C-130 award ceremony with L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert a...
14/07/2025
UK launch set for September, following on from recent US and Germany releases
London - UK, July 14, 2025 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, da...
14/07/2025
SHENZHEN, China Telycam has added control options for its portfolio of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with a new plug-in for Elgato's Stream Deck family of con...
14/07/2025
The awards are open to IBC2025 show exhibitors and offer a valuable platform for companies to raise awareness for the new products and solutions they will be la...
14/07/2025
Clear-Com is excited to announce a significant expansion of the award-winning Arcadia Central Station with new software updates. Together, these releases dram...
14/07/2025
Grass Valley and Daktronics today announced a strategic technology partnership that unites Grass Valley's live production expertise with Daktronics' lea...
14/07/2025
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset, and swXtch.io, provider of cloud-based multicast and reliable networking solutions, are partnering to deliver multicast...
14/07/2025
Tintri , a DDN subsidiary and leader in AI-powered data management solutions, today announces a game-changing and award-winning refresh to its global Partner P...
14/07/2025
HighField AI, the broadcast industry's first agentic and multimodal AI platform for automating graphics production, is now commercially available. Developed...
14/07/2025
Encompass Digital Media has today announced that it has been delivering a complex global services project for DAZN, the world s leading sports entertainment pla...
14/07/2025
MASV (massive.io), the fastest, most reliable large file transfer platform trusted by over 10,000 global organizations, announced today it will showcase its nex...
14/07/2025
Calrec is introducing a series of usability, customisation and system enhancements across the entire range of Argo consoles at IBC 2025, on Stand 8.C47. Look ou...
14/07/2025
Fincons Group, IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce a new engagement...
14/07/2025
Stand 5.F45, IBC2025, Amsterdam, 12 15 September 2025 Intinor returns to IBC to present the latest updates to its Direkt series. A key development on show is ...
14/07/2025
Sony's New Coach's Headset Was Designed in Collaboration With the NFL Featuring a custom dynamic boom mic, the headset will debut in the fall By Dan Da...
14/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star 2025: MLB Network's Marc Caiafa and Tom Guidice on th...
14/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix ISP Speed Index for June 2025
Product
14 July 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboard
One percent of Internet Service Providers (ISP...
14/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Begins Filming The Map of Longing With Al cia Falc , P...
14/07/2025
This July marks 100 days since I officially stepped into the role of CEO at Grass Valley, a milestone not of abrupt change, but of confident continuity.
Unlike...
14/07/2025
Enhancing Public Service Broadcasting with
Innovation, Accuracy & Sustainability
New regional detail and local towns featured...
13/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Expands B&B Universe' with Yu Jae Seok's B&B ...
13/07/2025
Live From MLB All-Star 2025: MLB Network Marks Five Straight Years of Onsite MLB...
12/07/2025
Ryan Coogler accepting the 2013 Vanguard Award. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez.
Editor's Note: In honor of Fruitvale Station s 12th anniversary, we're d...
12/07/2025
Key Code Education, the professional training division of Key Code Media, proudly announces a major update to its Adobe Premiere Pro Engineering and Advanced Op...
12/07/2025
Key Code Education, a leader in instructor-led post production training for over...
12/07/2025
As the death toll continues to mount, with at least 120 killed and more than 170 people still missing on July 10 from devastating Texas floods, a number of broa...
12/07/2025
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., and MIAMI -DirecTV and TelevisaUnivision have signed a deal that will make the ad-supported premium subscription tier of ViX, ViX Premium wi...
11/07/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...
11/07/2025
ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...
11/07/2025
Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...
11/07/2025
LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...
11/07/2025
Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....
11/07/2025
CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...
11/07/2025
WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...
11/07/2025
Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...
11/07/2025
Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...
11/07/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...
11/07/2025
2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...
11/07/2025
A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff
Friday, July 1...
11/07/2025
CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...
11/07/2025
Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalItaly
Link copied to clipboard
July 11, 20...
Bobbie Battista
