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Rooted in Ohio profiles interesting people who have grown up or lived in Ohio and have gone on to make a name for themselves around the country or around the globe. If you know of someone worthy of being highlighted, send an e-mail to Life@CoxInc.com and include “Rooted in Ohio idea” in the message subject line.
Len Cannon has been a correspondent on “Dateline NBC” in New York and covered some incredible events during his career as a TV journalist.
Before those experiences, he grew up in Troy, which he said still brings to mind fond memories of Little League Football and the Boy Scouts.
Cannon - who is known to his family and from his Troy days including as a member of the Class of 1975 as Blair Mintz - today works at KHOU 11 in Houston, where he is a news anchor and reporter.
Four generations of his family have lived in Troy, including his grandmother, the late Lucille Wheat, who was recognized as a key leader of civil rights in town and is in the local hall of fame. His mother, Carolyn Moore, lives in Dayton, while a cousin still resides in Troy.
Cannon began thinking about a career in broadcasting while in high school, then majored in radio and TV at Ashland College in northern Ohio.
“It’s a small school, which meant great access for me in the department. It was a great start,” Cannon said. “I was recommended for a radio job in Mansfield my first semester, and I was on my way.”
He also worked in radio in Cleveland before switching to television news, first in Toledo. That assignment was followed by reporting in New Orleans and Seattle before he landed in New York City as a correspondent for “Dateline NBC.” He also served as a backup anchor for “NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams” and “Weekend Today.”
Cannon served as anchor at WNYW-TV in New York before moving to Houston in 2006. He and his wife, Bernadette, have a daughter, Sasha, who is almost 5.
His father was a newsman, too. Hugh Morgan, who worked in radio news and in commercial voiceovers, is semi-retired.
Over the years, Cannon has covered a number of major stories. Among the most memorable he listed an hourlong story he did at “Dateline NBC” called “Class Photo.” The story, he said, was “a wonderful and sometimes tragic tale of young people growing up in inner city New York.”
Other memorable stories included the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, which he called “great fun,” and visiting the beaches of Normandy, France, with World War II veterans who survived D-Day. “I will never forget how gracious and humble those men were,” he said.
Perhaps the biggest story of his career was 9/11 when he was living and working in New York City.
In Houston, he’s doing a series called “Len at Work,” which highlights Cannon taking on an array of jobs from window washing, to demolition, SWAT team member and a rodeo clown. “The cowboys got a kick out of me being terrorized with something they do daily,” he said.
Cannon loves his work for its unpredictability and the people he encounters. “I’ve always loved being out, meeting people, having the access to do things,” he said. “To be able to tell their stories is very enjoyable. At times with people having a difficult time, it is not easy. There are some really interesting people.”
For young people interested in a media career, Cannon encourages an internship in the business. “It is great exposure to the realities of the job,” he said.
His favorite memory of growing up in Troy was Little League Football. “I was about 11 and played on a team that went undefeated and wasn’t scored on,” he said.
He makes it to Troy about once a year, Cannon said, though he has been back more frequently this year because of family business and a story he did on family genealogy.
“Troy was a wonderful and safe place to grow up. I have fond memories of Little League Football and Boy Scouts. I got a strong educational foundation that certainly paved the way for my career,” Cannon said.
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