Believe it or not, this Hall of Fame inductee was once told, “you’ll never work in broadcasting again.” Wonder where that guy is now. Because our man went on to have a most distinguished broadcasting career that lasted close to 50 years – the last 25 of which were spent at WKRG. The Alabama Broadcasters Association is proud to recognize Bill Riales as a new member of the ABA’s Hall of Fame.
“I was in Greenville, Mississippi doing radio, but was hired by the CBS station as the weekend sports anchor,” says Riales. “You had to go out and cover all the sports, so I learned how to shoot and edit. I lasted in that position a good six or seven weeks, but it got tiring because I was still full-time in radio. I told them I had to quit.”
“When the guy who was the main anchor and news director heard I was leaving he was like, ‘Well, you’ll, you’ll never work in broadcasting again.’”
“A couple weeks later, the general manager called,” Riales chuckles. “He said ‘Hey, I had to fire my news director and anchor. You want to come anchor the news for me?”
After Greenville, Riales went to Evansville, Indiana where he worked for two stations. Then he made the move back to the Gulf Coast.
“I grew up in Mississippi, and so I used to come to the Gulf Coast for the weekend with some buddies … more times than my parents knew,” laughs Riales. “It was a pretty fun time. Then I read Jimmy Buffett’s book while I was still in Evansville and I’m like – that’s it.”
Riales was the 5 o’clock anchor at WKRG for a few years and then moved to weekday mornings as news anchor and reporter. Twenty-five years later he retired – in December of 2025.
Those who worked with Riales couldn’t say enough good things about him.
WKRG-TV General Manager Jesse Grear spoke at the induction ceremony, “…What makes a Hall of Fame Broadcaster? Dedication to broadcasting, passion for the industry, commitment to excellence, popularity with viewers, and recognition by your peers. And you’ve gotta have fun doing it. Bill Riales has all these qualities!”
“When he first started there, before I even knew him, I saw him work and I thought, ‘Damn, that guy is really good’”, says John Nodor, WKRG’s morning meteorologist.
“He’s a good reporter. He’s a great anchor. His work spoke for itself.”
“As I got to know him,’ continues Nodor, “I got to realize what was behind that … his determination and his efforts to be the best truth telling anchor and reporter. He just wants to do a great job putting the information out there.”
Jesse Grear added, “It’s a lot of hard work and sacrifice! How do you get up at 3am every morning, put on a happy face, appear before millions of viewers weekly, and connect with them in a way that makes them want to join you every day? And he’s led our morning show to be number one, year after year.”
Riales’s broadcasting career gave him the opportunity to make a difference in the Mobile community.
“Taking World War II vets to see their memorial – those were some of the most impactful stories we did,” says Railes. “Some of these World War 2 vets knew they were on their last leg, but they would hang on until that flight.”
Then there was the woman who called the station because a construction company bulldozed her house.
“I went out and interviewed her and got pictures and all that, and it turns out it was a mistake – they tore down the wrong house,” says Riales. “She took them to court and won, of course. Those are the kind of stories I love – the ones that make a little impact.”
“Bill has touched so many lives and in such a deep and meaningful way,” says Nodor. “He has also done the golden apple awards for schoolteachers. To be recognized and rewarded is a huge thing.”
“I have always told him, and I’ll tell anybody,” Nodor continues, “as far as just sheer anchor power, there’s nobody stronger than Bill.”
Riales acknowledges that a fifty-year broadcasting career is special.
“I’m proud of the longevity of my career,” he says. “I was able to make a career out of it when so many people get disillusioned by it or they’re not in the right position or they just get tired of it. Yes, I’m proud of the sheer longevity … and the fact that I just didn’t have to work too hard!”
