Gayle_Sierens
Gayle Sierens
American sports announcer (born 1954)
Gayle Sierens (born 1954) is an American former broadcast journalist and television news anchor on WFLA-TV.
 | This biography may need cleanup. (December 2010) |
Gayle Sierens | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1954 (age 69–70) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Florida State University |
| Occupation(s) | News anchor Sports anchor |
| Spouse | Mike Martin |
| Children | 3 |
Sierens joined the Tampa NBC affiliate in 1977 as a weekend sports anchor and reporter after working with WFSU in Tallahassee while she was attending Florida State University.[1] She became the first female sportscaster in the Bay Area and quickly made a reputation for herself as someone who always got the big story and interviewed the top professional sports players despite being a woman. In 1981, she was recognized by Tampa Bay Metro Magazine as the Bay Area's best sports reporter.
In 1984, Sierens was honored with a Florida Emmy Award for sports reporting and in 1991, she won her second Emmy for news reporting.[1]
In an effort to curb declining ratings, WFLA promoted Sierens to co-anchor of the 6 & 11 p.m. newscasts with Bob Hite in October 1985, a move that was criticized at first. The move later paid off as Sierens was regarded as being likeable and just as intuitive doing news as doing sports.
In 1987, through a short stint with NBC Sports, Sierens became the first woman to do play-by-play for an NFL regular season football game when she called the December 27 game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs.[2] She was originally to be a regular play-by-play announcer for the season, but a contract dispute with WFLA prevented her from continuing in that role beyond her lone game.[3] In 2017, Beth Mowins became only the second woman to call an NFL game and first woman to call a Monday Night Football broadcast. Here, the game was between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos.[4][5][6]
January 10, 2007 was designated as "Gayle Sierens Day" by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio to commemorate Sierens' 30th year with the station, a rarity in television news.
Sierens retired from WFLA-TV NewsChannel 8 in May 2015, after 38 years in the broadcast journalism industry.[7]
Currently,[when?] Sierens is on the board of directors for Village Partners International, an advisory board for the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Greater Tampa, serves as chairperson for the Big Brother's/Big Sister's annual "Bowl for Kids' Sake" fundraiser, and is a member of the board of directors of the Judeo-Christian Health Clinic.[1]
She is married to Mike Martin, former linebacker for the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots, who owns the Mike's Pies in Tampa.[8]
- WFLA Biography Archived.
- Sandomir, Richard (28 January 2009). "First Woman to Call N.F.L. Play-by-Play, and the Last". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- Calhoun, Anthony (4 February 2021). "Catching up with Gayle Sierens, the first woman to ever do play-by-play for an NFL game". WISH-TV. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- Tanier, Mike (11 September 2017). "Beth Mowins: From Backyard Quarterback to MNF's 1st Woman in the Booth". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- Fortier, Sam (11 September 2017). "Syracuse native Beth Mowins will be 2nd-ever woman to call 'Monday Night Football'". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- "Media Circus: Beth Mowins to call Sept. 11 MNF". 14 May 2017.
- Johnston, Joey (11 June 2022). "Tampa Bay's Title IX Trailblazers: Gayle Sierens". TAMPA BAY SPORTS COMMISSION. Retrieved 27 October 2022.