Former CNN Headline News Anchor and cancer survivor Bob Losure
reached a milestone of 200 emcee and keynote speaking appearances in 2007,
hosting the Edison Electric Institute Convention in Denver and KioskCom Awards
Presentation in Las Vegas. Bob is author of “Five Seconds To Air”, detailing
his successful fight against testicular cancer and how it led him to anchor
at CNN.
Bob’s 11 years in the anchor chair at CNN Headline News also included
on-the-scene reporting of such stories as the San Francisco earthquake,
Hurricane Hugo, and the return of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to Miami.
The broadcast veteran remains in great demand as a speaker and emcee for firms
like Mercedes, RadioShack and OfficeMax, and associations like the Outdoor
Advertising Association of America. He’s interviewed top newsmakers such as
Walter Cronkite, Donald Trump, and the late David Halberstam, and emceed several
political debates in his home state of Oklahoma, including nationwide
distribution on C-Span and C-Span 2.
His on-stage work has taken him around the world—emceeing the Junior Chamber
International Conference in Seoul, South Korea, and anchoring a one-hour
newscast for 700 JCB Inc. delegates onboard Holland America’s HMS Westerdam
in the Caribbean.
His recent appearances have also focused on his own cancer survival, and
included audiences in Salt Lake City; Springfield, Illinois; and San Jose,
California. His popular presentation on the growing polarization between the
national news media and Washington politicians received an enthusiastic reception
in 2004 in his keynote speech before audiences in Houston and Palm Springs,
California.
Nashville-based Providence House Publishers has printed the hardcover edition
of Bob’s autobiography, “Five Seconds To Air,” a story that ranges across his
broadcasting career, including the early days of CNN when it was known as Ted
Turner’s “Chicken Noodle Network.” In the book, Bob details his 1985 battle with
testicular cancer and how it forever changed his outlook on living each day to
want to make their mark in the communications field. Bob was interviewed by
correspondent Ed Bradley for CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ program in 1997, giving Bob a
unique perspective on ’60 Minutes’ that might surprise some viewers.
Bob is also frequently called on each year to use his hosting and interviewing
skills for several major companies, including BellSouth, UPS, Siemens, Wal-Mart,
and Bayer Corporation. He also narrates ESPN2’s “Advantage Adventures” outdoors
program airing Saturday mornings.
As perhaps one of the most widely-known of the CNN Headline News anchors during
a period of major international stories from 1986-1997, Bob has received several
awards. The awards he’s most proud of include his induction into the Broadcasting
Hall of Fame at his alma mater, the University of Tulsa in 1995, and his
selection as only the second national television news anchor to be inducted into
Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity’s “Order of West Range” in 1996, joining ABC news
veteran Ted Koppel.
In his “Lights…Camera…Cancer!” keynote speech to groups ranging from M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to American Cancer Society meetings in
Orlando, Kansas City and Detroit, Bob gives audiences a heartfelt look at his
own battle with testicular cancer. Bob punctuates his remarks by giving his
audiences a chance to relax, kick off their shoes, and laugh at all the things
that can and do go wrong when you’re doing live news. Now an eighteen-year
testicular cancer survivor, Bob makes us realize that we always have hope, no
matter what the prognosis. Hope to see a family member graduate from college…hope
to take that trip we’ve always wanted…and hope that our own mental attitude
combined with modern medical science can be powerful allies in the battle against
cancer.
In his speech and in his autobiography, Five Seconds To Air, Bob also gives us a
humorous look behind-the-scenes at CNN, and looks back at a wedding he attended
where he was mis-identified as Headline News anchor Chuck Roberts at the start
of the wedding reception line. Not wishing to offend anyone, Bob continued right
down the line, glad-handing everyone and introducing himself as Chuck Roberts,
and to Bob’s surprise, no one ever noticed.
He also tells the courageous story of Don Harrison, Bob’s colleague and former
CNN Headline News anchor, who showed what courage was all about in 1990 when he
refused to read on-the-air an erroneous story that President George Bush Sr. has
died beneath a dinner table in Tokyo. Don, who had battled cancer twice before,
losing a leg to its ravages at age 13, saved the network from what would have
been a disaster of monumental proportions.
Bob lets his audience into his own deepest thoughts on cancer, and how he felt
as he lay in a hospital bed late at night after numerous surgeries and
chemotherapy in 1985, watching his permanent replacement in his former anchor
chair at the CBS affiliate in Tulsa. He recounts how his faith and the help of
many people he had never even had the chance to meet in person got him back on
the road to win the fight against cancer. That victory not only gave him a
renewed spirit about living, it motivated him to seek the anchor job at CNN
Headline News.
Struggling to keep every hair on his head for the anchor audition despite a
round of chemotherapy just three weeks earlier, Bob convinced CNN management
that he had “the right stuff”. Three months and two more rounds of chemotherapy
later, he had survived and given the green light to get on with his life. And
he wasted no time in moving ahead. One month later he was headed for a new job
that would put him on the top of the world, sitting in the anchor chair at CNN
Headline News in Atlanta.
Mr. Losure’s keynotes and and emcee engagements have taken him literally around
the world—emceeing the Junior Chamber International Conference in Pusan, South
Korea, and presenting a one-hour newscast for 700 JCB Inc. delegates onboard
Holland America’s HMS Westerdam sailing across the Caribbean.
His recent appearances focusing on his own cancer survival story have included
audiences at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston, and medical centers from
San Jose, California to the University of Tennessee. In June of ‘07 he
keynoted Cancer Survivor’s Day at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Chicago.
Lights…Camera…Cancer! gives the exciting story of what goes on behind the
scenes of network news. The speech also details Bob’s successful fight against
testicular cancer, and how it led him to prominence in the CNN anchor chair.
The Evolution of “Branding” looks at how Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs, and Keith
Olbermann, among others, are creating a polarization of “opinion” that’s rapidly
crushing the traditional “objective” style of news.
The Final Decision in ’08 shows how it will be the media, not the politicians,
who will decide the winner of the ’08 Presidential race, and only after a
photo-finish.
The veteran journalist is a native Oklahoman and member of the University of
Tulsa’s Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and is one of a select few alumni to be
honored with the title “Distinguished Alumni.” In 2005 he was given the
lifetime achievement award by his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, and became only
the second national television news anchor to receive the fraternity’s highest
alumni honor, “The Order of West Range”, joining former ABC news veteran Ted
Koppel.
SPEECH & EMCEE APPEARANCES
06/19/07 Denver; Edison Electric Institute, Tony Anthony 202-508-5520
06/03/07 Chicago; Provena Saint Joseph’s Med. Center, David Loy 615-261-4000
05/07/07 South Sioux City, NE; Chamber, Angela Cox-Weston 515-974-8305
04/25/07 Las Vegas; KioskCom Awards, Lawrence Dvorchik 908-601-3166
06/18/06 Washington, DC; Edison Electric Institute, Tony Anthony 202-508-5520
05/04/06 San Diego; Assisted Living Fed. of America, Bill Lee 908-342-6643
04/24/06 Palm Desert, CA; Traffic Audit Bureau, Larry Hennessy 212-972-8075
04/10/06 Las Vegas; JP Events/KioskCom, Joelle Coretti 203-371-6322
01/17/06 Wash DC; Network Centric Warfare Conf., Michael Gallo 212-885-2679
10/16/05 Colorado Springs; Winter Night Club, Howard Price 719-660-1556
08/19/05 Tulsa, OK.; Cancer Treatment Centers, Dick Stephenson 800-788-8485
06/20/05 Las Vegas; Edison Electric Institute, Tony Anthony 202-508-5520
05/22/05 Chicago; Outdoor Advertising Assoc., Stephen Freitas 202-833-5566
04/19/05 Las Vegas; KioskCom.com, Lawrence Dvorchik 212-908-601-3166
04/02/05 Tulsa, OK.; The University of Tulsa, Bill Vogle 918-597-9511
02/23/05 Las Vegas; UNLV Journalism Ethics, Mary Hausch 702-349-9518
02/03/05 Las Vegas; White House Multi-Media Center, Ron Kirsh 702-838-0800
11/16/04 Palm Springs; CA Assoc. of Health Facilities, Betsy Hite 916-441-6400
10/28/04 Joplin, MO; Missouri Southern State College, Judy Stiles 416-625-9375
10/08/04 Houston; FMC Political Action Committee, Jill Mitchell 281-591-4166
06/24/04 Springfield, OH; Community Hospital, Karen Kendig 614-442-3300
06/23/04 Las Vegas; Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Haugen 702-641-5822, x 262
06/13/04 Plattsburgh, NY; CVPH Medical Center, Stacey LaFave 518-562-7534
05/01/04 Tulsa, OK.; Oklahoma Dental Assoc., Shelly Murphey 800-876-8890
04/18/04 Phoenix; Traffic Audit Bureau, Joe Philport 212-972-8075, x. 215
04/17/04 Salt Lake City; American Cancer Society, Diana Belew 210-595-0238
04/12/04 Las Vegas; Convention & Visitors Auth., Nancy Murphy 702-892-2847
03/25/04 Las Vegas; BancTec Systems, Susan Kennedy 224-405-2186
03/18/04 San Jose, CA; San Jose Medical Center, Leslie Kelsay 408-977-7412
03/04/04 Las Vegas; Las Vegas Rotary Club, Mike Ballard 702-836-3000
02/27/04 Las Vegas; Convention Authority, Charmayne Hammer 702-892-2847
02/12/04 Las Vegas; Women In Communications, Robin Jay 702-460-1420
02/06/04 Springfield, IL; Southern Illinois University, Julie Efaw 217-544-8552
01/29/04 Las Vegas; Chamber of Commerce Preview, Mike Varney 702-735-2451
01/07/04 Las Vegas; Primedia’s ‘The Special Event’, Sarah Ruhl 720-489-3126
11/11/03 Atlanta; SHOPA Foundation, Scott Walters 937-297-2250
10/30/03 Tulsa, OK; SW Regional Med. Ctr, Annabelle Falconetti 918-672-3956
10/03/03 Austin, TX.; Intl Assoc. of Bus. Comm., John Williams 1-800-776-5272
09/05/03 Tulsa, OK.; Televised Debate, KWHB-TV, Royal Ayles 918-254-4701
06/08/03 Wash. D.C.; Outdoor Advertising Assoc., Stephen Freitas 202-833-5566
06/07/03 Cleveland, OH; NATAS Emmy Awards, Joel Solloway 216-575-0177
06/01/03 Knoxville, TN; Univ. of Tennessee Med. Ctr, Dr. John Bell 865-544-9572
05/02/03 Montpelier, VT; Vermont Broadcasters, Jordan Steinberg 310-230-2242
04/23/03 Tulsa, OK; Southwestern Med. Center, Dick Stephenson 847-382-2666
03/06/03 Las Vegas; OfficeMax Convention, Joel Solloway 216-575-0177
11/04/02 Greensboro, NC; Nat. Assoc. for Pupil Tran, Mike Martin 800-989-6278
10/29/02 Knoxville, TN; Appalachian Comm., D.C., Jeff Schwartz, 212-884-7721
10/30/02 Tulsa, OK.; Okla. Gov’s Debate, C-SPAN, Bill Paddock 918-254-4701
10/12/02 Orlando, FL; Ideal Health Convention, Scott Stanwood 603-334-3600
09/21/02 Orlando, FL; American Cancer Society, Rob Carsello 312-641-6362
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