Media Frenzy

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

The woman who is one of Mobile’s most popular news anchor is headed out of town.

WALA’s Anissa Centers will end her 11-year run at the FOX affiliate Dec. 15 as she and her family will move to Atlanta, where her husband Reggie has accepted a position as the general manager of a car dealership.

Centers said she hasn’t yet decided what she will be doing when she goes to Atlanta. She said the move is one that’s good for her family, but she is saddened to be leaving Mobile.

“It is exciting for my husband and a fabulous opportunity for my family, but it is sad to leave Mobile. They’ve embraced me. For a city where people can literally trace their ancestors back to the founding of the city to embrace a stranger like they have is a big deal,” Centers said.

The move to Atlanta means there may be more opportunities but also lots of competition. Centers is philosophical about her next career move.

“I’m all for diving back into TV, but I’m not necessarily going back into TV,” Centers said, adding that she feels confident she will find something she loves either inside or outside of the news business. As for living in a city of millions, Centers knows her limitations.

“I’m super impatient and hate traffic,” she joked. “I’m sure MARTA and I will become great friends.”

Originally from Longview, Texas, Centers came to WALA after a stint at a Waco, Texas station. She said that move to Mobile was one in which Reggie made a sacrifice, and now she is returning the favor.

“Eleven years ago, he gave up a fantastic job to move here. He wanted me to follow my career. Moving to Atlanta is the least I can do for someone who was willing to take that leap of faith for me,” she explained.

The irony of the situation is that she and Reggie had recently come to a decision that staying in Mobile longterm was what they wanted to do.

“We had settled in. At one point, we were looking at the next place, but about nine months ago, we said ‘this is great.’ Of course when you say that, an offer will come out of the blue.”

Looking back at her time at WALA, Center says she is proudest of a couple of things. First is the fact that she has stayed in this market for 11 years, especially in a business where on-air people move so frequently. She says that is a credit to her co-workers as much as her desire to make things work. Multiple sales of the station during her time at WALA proved to be one of the few difficulties she faced.

“Every relationship has challenges and bumps in the road, and we always worked them out,” she said of the sales. “I love all of them (colleagues). They are the main reason I stayed.”

The other thing of which Centers is most proud is her stories on bone marrow donor registration, which highlighted the need for African-Americans to become donors in order to help others who have Sickle Cell Anemia. A few years ago, Centers actually became a donor, something which helped increase registration in Alabama.

Centers has been voted Mobile’s favorite anchor in this publication’s readers poll. She has also won numerous awards, including the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s Anchor of the Year Award last year and the Best Anchor award for Region IV in the National Association of Black Journalists competition.

Rob Holbert is Lagniappe managing editor. Contact him at rholbert@lagniappemobile.com.

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