Mr. Vickers Verified

Neal Vickers is an anchor and reporter for the Alabama Radio Network, covering local, regional, national, and international news stories. Vickers joined the ARN news team in 2001.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Vickers entered the Air Force to become an electronics technician in 1975, however, pursued a broadcasting profession through the military. Vickers joined a crew at the American Forces Network in Madrid, Spain where he anchored newscasts along with working as a disc jockey. He also spent some time learning how to operate television equipment for the base television. He later worked in many different positions, acquiring broadcasting experiences in Germany, and Greenland. [CR-LF][CR-LF]Vickers moved back to the US, where at the combat camera unit at Carswell AFB, Texas, he was assigned as a producer, narrator, and the primary video editor producing training and documentary videos for the military. The production teams traveled virtually coast to coast and throughout Central America covering everything from change of command ceremonies to documenting real world activities like the Nicaraguan contras setting up strategic bases in Honduras. In 1985, he was named Production Technician of the Year. In 1987, Vickers spent a year as an assistant director in the facilities, requirements and resources office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. There he helped manage a DOD program aimed at teaching commanders how to create better facilities and quality of life on the bases using the resources they had available to them. They also helped develop the military construction budget for all four services and prepared individuals for congressional hearings.[CR-LF][CR-LF]In 1988, Vickers transferred to 'Armed Forces Digest' at the Pentagon. This was a worldwide radio military news broadcast, that was setting up a television branch to provide packaged reports to stations around the world. The Pentagon TV production directly supported the DOD spokesman's office, and federal press briefings to offices throughout the Pentagon and to points beyond. That done, Vickers moved into the radio office and where they produced daily radio newscast for worldwide distribution. Vickers and his co-anchor interviewed and worked with officials from every level of government and in 1990, was chosen the Secretary of Defense's Junior NCO of the Year. [CR-LF]Vickers and his family moved back to Germany in 1991. There he assisted the commander and station managers with the development of standards and operation of broadcast facilities in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. In 1992 he moved into the Regional News Center and back into an active broadcasting role. He worked as the assignment editor and correspondent covering military events in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia, including hostilities in Bosnia, Kuwait, and Somalia. In 1992, Vickers was named Broadcaster of the Year. [CR-LF][CR-LF]With one year left in the military, they moved to Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas in 1994. There, as part of the communications squadron, Vickers' helped write war plans for combat camera teams deploying to hot spots, such as Haiti, and set up video teleconferencing capabilities for the base. After all the globetrotting, they decided to settle down and moved to Alabama in 1995. Vickers began working overnights at WQEN-FM & WAAX-AM in Gadsden as an on-air personality, newscaster, and producer. He performed a five-hour music show on WQEN, produced hourly newscasts and morning sportscasts for WAAX, and monitored satellite feeds and the computer system for both stations. [CR-LF][CR-LF]In 1996, Vickers spent a few months at WTJP (TV-60) in Gadsden, Alabama. There he worked board shifts, conducted studio, and field operations. He wrote, shot, and edited commercials and assisted the station engineer with equipment maintenance in the studio and at the transmitter site. A few months later, Vickers saw the opportunity to return to news. He was hired as a reporter and anchor at WERC in Birmingham. Covering events for the station has seen him named the Associated Press Reporter of the Year twice, Investigative Reporter of the Year and providing best Spot News Coverage.

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