Life is full of surprises. For John Sabol, one big surprise is his news anchor chair at WFTS, Tampa, Florida. When he was building a sports portfolio at Kent State University and honing his skills at WOWK, Charleston West Virginia, little did John know that he’d eventually be a both a sports and news anchor. Then WFTS General Manager, Rich Pegram, thought John was a news natural and now six years later the proof is in the ratings. John’s weekend newscasts ratings are among the station’s best.

John says he still loves sports but that “news-thing” grabbed him.

John joined WFTS in October 2013 from Charleston, WV where he served as Sports Director at WOWK from 2011-2013. John also served as the Sports Director for WVNS in Beckley, WV from 2009-2011, and was a Multimedia Reporter for the Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians AA affiliate) in Akron, Ohio in 2009.

John earned the 2013 West Virginia Broadcasters Association Award for the state's "Best Sportscast" for his anchoring on WOWK's Sports Zone.

John is a native of Hudson, Ohio (near Cleveland). He’s the youngest of five kids, married his high school sweetheart, Alyssa, and did graduate in broadcast journalism from Kent State. He and Alyssa love to travel, play sports, spend time with family, and always hang with their golden retriever, Myla.

11 years

B.S. Broadcast Journalism; Kent State Unviersity; Kent Ohio