Fred Hickman Bio, Age, Family, Wife, Net Worth, CNN, and ESPN Career

Fred Hickman Biography

Fred Hickman is an African-American news anchor and managing editor for the African-American cable news channel Black News Channel’s evening newscast. He’s also worked for CNN, TBS, YES Network, and ESPN.

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How old is Fred Hickman? -Age

Fred is 64 years old as of 17 October 2020. He was born Frederick “Fred” Hickman in 1956 in Springfield, Illinois, United States.

Fred Hickman Family – Education

Hickman was born to George Henry and Louise Winifred Hickman. He graduated from Springfield Southeast High School in 1974 and went on to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from 1974 to 1978.

Fred Hickman Wife

He has been married to Sheila Bowers Hickman since 2007.

Fred Hickman Net Worth

His wealth records are not revealed making it difficult to calculate his net worth.

Fred Hickman Photo
Fred Hickman Photo

Fred Hickman Career

In 1977, Hickman started his professional radio broadcasting career. In 1978, he joined a Springfield, Illinois, television station as an anchor and sports director. Hickman joined Turner Broadcasting System in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1980, as part of a four-person sports department for the company’s Cable News Network CNN, where he worked with Nick Charles. Hickman and Charles debuted on the air as hosts of CNN Sports Tonight on June 1, 1980, a nightly sports wrap-up show in which they reported scores and events, showed highlights of college and professional games, and chose a “Play of the Day.” The show was a nightly competitor to ESPN’s SportsCenter, which Hickman would later join.

Hickman took a break from CNN in 1984 to work as a sports anchor for WDIV, an NBC affiliate in Detroit, Michigan. From June 1984 to May 1985, he worked as an anchor, a “beat reporter” for the MLB’s Detroit Tigers, and a boxing specialist for TBS. In November 1986, he returned to TBS as a CNN/Sports Illustrated co-anchor with Nick Charles. He worked for CNN until September 2001, hosting NBA and NFL pre- and post-game shows, commentating on the Atlanta Hawks, and co-hosting the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia.

When Hickman reported on the millennium celebrations in New York for CNN’s coverage of the event in 1999, he became part of a news story. Hickman also worked as a narrator for TBS’s contribution to Bob Ballard’s National Geographic specials, including the Titanic’s recovery, as well as a Master of Ceremonies, speaker, and guest panelist at the Butkus Award and the Eddie Robinson Award.

During this time, Hickman sparked a debate when he cast his first-place vote for Allen Iverson for the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player Award. Hickman was the only voter who did not vote for Shaquille O’Neal in the first place vote that year, preventing O’Neal from becoming the first unanimous NBA MVP in the award’s history. Iverson came in seventh place in the voting.

In October 2001, Hickman left the Atlanta-based YES Network. He was the show’s first anchor, hosting pre- and post-game shows for New York Yankees broadcasts. Hickman left the YES network in late 2004 to join ESPN, where he now works for the New Jersey Nets network. Hickman hosted many of ESPN’s flagship shows during his time there, including SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPN Classic, NBA Shoot Around, and NBA Coast to Coast. He also served as a fill-in host on ESPN radio and hosted ESPNEWS for a short time.

Fred joined the Atlanta Braves in 2009 and hosted a pre- and post-game show on Fox Sports South for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Fred Hickman Communications, Inc. was founded in September 2010 by him. The company offers retired athletes broadcaster training as well as media training for athletes, coaches, and front-office staff in the sports industry. Hickman also works as a narrator, a speaker, a spokesperson, and an event host.