Jeff Cox promoted to News Director of WGXA and WFXL
MACON, Ga. -- Jeff Cox has been promoted to fill the role of News Director for WGXA News in Macon and FOX31 News (WFXL) in Albany. Jeff will be responsible for managing a team of more than 25 journalists who produce over 50 hours of news content every week. The combined viewing area for both stations is over 60 counties.
Julie Fries, Group News Director for Sinclair Broadcast Group, issued this statement regarding the promotion:
While weather is his first passion, Jeff Cox has taken on additional leadership roles in the WGXA and WFXL newsrooms, from coordinating election coverage to producing in depth stories, for several years now. He’s committed to serving the Middle and Southwest Georgia communities and is the right choice to lead our dedicated news teams forward as News Director. Jeff understands our mission to provide impactful content that is relevant on all platforms. He’s dedicated to earning the support and trust of our communities by focusing on enterprise content that is meaningful to the people we serve.
Jeff has been Chief Meteorologist at WGXA since 2009 and previously from 2005 to 2007. He also spent time as a meteorologist for The Weather Channel radio network.
Jeff has also been honored multiple times for weather coverage and reporting by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and the Associated Press.
Jeff is from Asheville, North Carolina, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2005 with a degree in atmospheric sciences with a concentration in weather forecasting. Jeff, his wife Kacey, daughter Harper, and Golden Retriever Sadie Mae love living in Middle Georgia.
Jeff wanted to say this to our viewers:
I knew I wanted to be a meteorologist at 6-years-old. I credit my love for weather to Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and the Blizzard of 1993. I told my parents after my first newscast at WGXA in April of 2005 that, "I made it." I've lived my dream for the last 16 years. I've covered every heat wave, cold blast, storm outbreak, hurricane, drought and even winter storms, in the last decade and a half. I've made many of you mad when I interrupted your favorite TV show, but we were always here for you and your family. But during that time, I realized I wasn't just a weather geek. I'm a news junkie. I have long been involved in our newsroom behind the scenes and now I get to lead our newsrooms in a formal role. WGXA will always be home. I may not be on TV anymore, but I'm still at WGXA and hope that never changes. This new opportunity is also a chance to give back to my family. For the last 16 years, holidays, birthdays and vacations were always at risk. I've missed several. When the worst weather hits, my family is alone. I owe so much to my wife, my daughter and the rest of my family for what they've sacrificed. We are looking forward to a more traditional schedule that allows Dad to wake up, eat dinner and go to bed with my family. I want to thank everyone who has followed along for the last 15 plus years, and has support my career and my family. You may not see me on TV like you're used to, but don't change the channel. I'm still here. We have a great team of journalists and meteorologists ready to bring you the day's news and weather.
A candidate to replace Jeff as Chief Meteorologist has not yet been announced.
