Jeff Hullinger gets a new gig at WXIA-TV
Eight years after popular sportscaster Jeff Hullinger left WAGA-TV in a bit of a cloud, the Emmy-winning broadcast veteran has found his way back on Atlanta TV news on WXIA-TV.
“I’m grateful to [WXIA-TV news director] Ellen Crooke and I look forward to being part of the Channel 11 team,” he said. He starts his job tomorrow and will be on air for the first time Monday, June 21.
“I’m really glad to hear that,” said Pete Combs, a former colleague at WSB-AM, when told the news. “He’s one of the fastest guys in the world, a real news junkie.”
Loading ...“It’s about time,” said Gabe Hobbs, his former boss at WGST-AM. “Glad to see them take his value and equity and leverage that against the market.”
Hullinger’s departure from WAGA-TV in 2002 was a less than happy one. After he left, he freelanced for ESPN, worked briefly in Tampa and did news at WSB-AM, but he had been unable to find another gig in local news in Atlanta. I wrote a piece about him in February pondering why he was unemployed and quoted several folks saying the very same thing.
His fans and supporters extol him him as a great broadcaster and an utter pro. Critics found him, at worst, arrogant and remote, especially in his younger, brasher days. WAGA-TV management reportedly was unhappy that a decade ago, he was juggling multiple jobs, including a radio job and subbing work at CNN. He seemed to be everywhere at one point.
After his WAGA departure, some fans believe he was blackballed in Atlanta for many years.
Hullinger’s new boss Crooke, who read the February article, noted that two of his defenders in the story now work for her: Doug Richards, a former WAGA-TV vet and blogger behind Live Apartment Fire, and former WSB-AM newsman Kerry Browning, who she hired very recently. Although Crooke wasn’t in Atlanta during his heyday, she heard Hullinger was a great live broadcaster and “smart as a whip.”
She plans to make him a political correspondent. “Sports and politics aren’t all that different,” she said.
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164 comments Add your comment
Marie
June 9th, 2010
3:17 pm
Yea – The Hull-Man is back! Great sense of humor!
Tom Haynes F0X5 News
June 9th, 2010
3:20 pm
F1RST!
Tom Haynes F0X5 News
June 9th, 2010
3:21 pm
Dang!
Joannie
June 9th, 2010
3:29 pm
His news anchoring at WSB was the best.
I miss his witty newscasts.
Good for Channel 11.
Out Foxed
June 9th, 2010
3:31 pm
He survives the Fox 5 blackball.
Oh My!
June 9th, 2010
3:42 pm
I can’t wait to see him again, a reason to check out 11alive.
96rocker
June 9th, 2010
3:51 pm
Yeah c’mon
Stu Klitenic
June 9th, 2010
3:58 pm
Would love to see him replace Fred Kalil behind the sportsdesk. Watching Fred struggle thru his sportscast is painful.
Jim
June 9th, 2010
4:16 pm
Glad for Jeff, too bad he’s on Ch. 11 though, I guess it could be worse, he could be on 46, then again, they dumped their sports dept over to the idiots on 790 The Zone. Speaking of which I heared Mark Harmon on 680 The Fan the other day doing the Sports Blast updates, I wonder if that’s just fill in work?
I noticed Rodney didn’t mention what Jeff will be doing at 11 Dead or Alive?
Yes
June 9th, 2010
4:30 pm
Jim – read the last sentence again.
Jen
June 9th, 2010
4:42 pm
Way to go Jeff!
the truth
June 9th, 2010
4:54 pm
I love Jeff. I miss him on WSB. I hope he doesn’t mess with his style. Do that clever stuff.
Sportsfan
June 9th, 2010
5:13 pm
I liked watching him over the years because he was different and smart. I hope he does some sports coverage because he has so much history here with the Falcons and Braves.
rod
June 9th, 2010
5:26 pm
glad to have the hulman back
Andrew
June 9th, 2010
5:44 pm
I will definitely turn my TV back to the broadcast waves to watch Jeff Hullinger. Fist pump and fist bump to him.
rude
June 9th, 2010
6:07 pm
Jeffreaka!!! good to have you back on tv buddy. i’ll be able to watch local tv again! will you be able to incorporate your vast knowledge of vaudeville? i miss the old days talkin’ with you about shecky green, shields and yarnell and some of the greats that inspired us to become the broadcasters that we are!
Egg Man
June 9th, 2010
6:40 pm
The cumulative IQ of Atlanta’s onscreen broadcasters will triple on 06/21.
jimbo
June 9th, 2010
7:40 pm
ok, I read the last sentence, my mistake. Sorry.
I like WAGA, but they med a big mistake in letting him go. Good luck to Jeff.
prettyBoy
June 9th, 2010
8:01 pm
yes he’ll fit in well with the relatively new 11 alive news format, telling stories around the news. he’s extremely good at that.
Dirk Diggler
June 9th, 2010
8:35 pm
The guy is unique and I never understood why he struggled to find his place after Fox 5 . I will watch to see his take on p[olitics.
Sandra
June 9th, 2010
9:17 pm
Glad he is back. Wondered what happened to him.
GA Native
June 9th, 2010
9:38 pm
Finally! Thanks WXIA for bringing him on board.
Dunwoody guy
June 9th, 2010
9:42 pm
Thank you WXIA
Chuch Dowdle
June 9th, 2010
9:48 pm
Jeff is terrible, he couldn’t carry my jockstrap!!!
KSL days
June 9th, 2010
9:48 pm
Glad to see Hullinger back, I watched him all the way back on KSL TV In Salt Lake City when he was just getting started. His style has stayed pretty much the same.
TV Viewer
June 9th, 2010
9:50 pm
Yea Jeff! 11Alive, can Jeff make periodic appearances on 11@7 news?
itpdude
June 9th, 2010
9:51 pm
Man, Hull-Man used to be EVERYWHERE!
I was never the biggest fan, though I have been a longtime Doug Richards fan. Hull-Man is okay, I guess. I doubt he’ll be working like he did before. That was overexposure, big time.
dawggirl
June 9th, 2010
9:52 pm
I always loved the Hull Man. I would love to see him do sports again, I really enjoyed that the most.
N Davis
June 9th, 2010
10:00 pm
OMG, I remember driving to work in the mid-1990’s listening to the Hull-man and Christopher R on the old 96 Rock and watching him on the tube on the news. He will be a welcomed back in my LZ!! This may start me watching WXIA again, Welcome back JH!
Birrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd Man
June 9th, 2010
10:02 pm
Hull-Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please bring back “Jeff’s Big Ol’ Fish.” LOL
Hindu Elvis Pimp
June 9th, 2010
10:06 pm
Am I the only one that was unimpressed by Hullinger’s ability? I remember him doing play by play for Falcons radio and he made lots of mistakes. I don’t mind the mistakes, but he never acknowledged them……Not once.
BromoMichael
June 9th, 2010
10:07 pm
Hugs for the Hullman…Congrats Jeff!
Advil2
June 9th, 2010
10:13 pm
Loved Hullinger. Smart and nobody’s fool on the air. Sharp rapier wit.
Leslie Dove
June 9th, 2010
10:15 pm
This is great, but I will not rest until they bring back THE KIMMMER!
I gotta let you go, you’re killing me!
Janet
June 9th, 2010
10:15 pm
I hope he gets to anchor. I remember he anchored the news during the Olympics in 1996 with Brenda Wood. they were good together.
Bad Karma
June 9th, 2010
10:34 pm
Great to have “the Hull Man” back. Now if only Jewels would come back.
Jim Ragan
June 9th, 2010
10:35 pm
He was a great fill-in on WSB Radio during mornings and congrats to Jeff on his new work at WXIA-TV. He will do great.
Craig Davison
June 9th, 2010
10:39 pm
96 Rock back in the day…Hullman + Chris Rude = some of the best morning FM radio in ATL history (apologies to Gary/Willis/Yetta).
Robert
June 9th, 2010
10:40 pm
Iam glad he’s back. Even though I can’t see him on the cable in middle GA but I do remember when we could get fox5 and I enjoyed listen to his sportcast. Good luck Jeff.
Ex WKLS
June 9th, 2010
10:43 pm
One of the good guys at 96 rock. Always liked working with the Hullman.
Finally Hulli
June 9th, 2010
10:54 pm
Finally he’s back on the tube. Missed Jeff over the last 8 yrs. Miss him doing the Falcons games as well. Why does Atlanta have the worst newscasters anyway? Monica is horrible and her toupe counterpart is just as bad. Welcome back Jeff!
Constance
June 9th, 2010
10:56 pm
I was so happy to see him leave the air in Atlanta. I could not have been more sick of seeing and hearing him everywhere. His arrogance was annoying and I hope he’s been knocked down a notch and learned some humility. “The Hull”, “The Hullinger”????? are you kidding me. Do I really have to hear that again?
BornInATL
June 9th, 2010
11:00 pm
Agree with Craig – Rude and Hullinger were a perfect match. Problem now is that Hullinger doesn’t have the face for TV, particularly high def! Still though, even Hullinger doing politics can’t get me to tune in to 11Alive again…worst newscast in Atlanta.
Joe Washington
June 9th, 2010
11:03 pm
Hulman is pretty good, but what about me?!!
wayne
June 9th, 2010
11:07 pm
that’s great I grew up watching hullinger should be a good fall watchin hullinger reporting the falcons and dawgs!!!
Sonia
June 9th, 2010
11:12 pm
Glad he’s back. Should have been long, long ago.
Ref
June 9th, 2010
11:12 pm
A pro is welcomed back. He should be anchoring the news. On the other hand, covering this year’s state politics will suit him well. He’s smart and well read.
New WXIA viewer
June 9th, 2010
11:21 pm
I will watch Jeff on 11. I hope he is anchoring the news also.
Scott Anderson
June 9th, 2010
11:21 pm
always liked Jeff H and he is a good fit in politics.
will tune in to see him.
Steve Somers
June 9th, 2010
11:27 pm
Has he had his face sand-blasted? He sure needed it. Plus, some tongue-pruning to try and cure that ‘Cable Guy’ lisp. But, seriously, he was uber-incompetent as Buzzards radio play-by-play dolt.