WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — From day one, Michael Williams had a big presence at WPTV and that's not simply a reference to his towering height.
Michael is a giant in local television news with a career spanning more than 40 years.
It all began two days after graduating from the University of Florida in 1980.
Michael was hired as a general assignment reporter at WTVX in Fort Pierce, making a whopping $175 dollars a week.
Even with his oversized glasses and station-mandated orange blazer, viewers could tell this smart, young reporter was going somewhere.
In 1982, WCPO in Cincinnati, Ohio, hired Michael. He spent the next couple of years developing his 'live' reporting skills.
It was back to South Florida in 1984 where Michael would spend the next 3 1/2 decades reporting on some of the biggest national and international stories.
He became a skilled hurricane chaser, covering Gilbert, Hugo, Andrew, and Charlie to name just a few.
Michael was reporting live from New York City not long after the terrorist attacks on 9-11.
From covering our country's darkest moment to some of its proudest.
Michael was chosen to carry the Olympic Flame on the torch relay through the streets of Miami in 2001, in the lead-up to the 2002 Salt Lake City winter games.
He also fulfilled a childhood dream by flying with the Blue Angels. Quite a thrill for the son of a Naval aviator.
Michael's love of politics landed him a two-year stint as the Washington correspondent for NBC NewsChannel, where he often reported from the White House.
To this day, he's able to land the 'big interviews" every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on To The Point, the political show he producers and hosts on WPTV.
Besides politics, space is one of Michael's passions.
From shuttle lift-offs at the Kennedy Space Center, which he has covered many to science fiction, Michael is an admitted space geek.
He is a star trek fan and proud of it. The newsroom can count on him to wear his 'Next Generation' tunic every Halloween.
There's only one thing bigger than the galaxy and that's Michael's devotion to Leisa, his wife of 30 years, and daughters Lindsey, Erin, and Ally.
His multiple Emmy awards, the accolades, and a long broadcast career are wonderful, but Michael will be the first to tell you that his family is his greatest accomplishment.
