Jerry Taff

A former anchor who held on‑air roles at both WJRT‑TV and WEYI‑TV in Flint has passed away at the age of 85. Jerry Taff, who later became a fixture to Milwaukee, Wisconsin viewers for over 25 years passed away October 27 in his home state of Texas.  He was 85.

Taff was born in Lamesa, Texas in 1940, and got an early start in radio at age 17 at his hometown station, WPET-AM. He had stints in Dallas; Flint, and New Haven, Connecticut, before joining WISN-TV in Milwaukee.

He spent two years as a news anchor at WJRT-TV (1975-77), followed by a year at WEYI-TV.  While working in Flint, Taff covered the story of a local teenager named Michael Moore  who had been elected to the school board of Davison, Michigan. Taff mentored Moore and his friends for a year and a half, showing him the news business. Moore later said of Taff: "He was the one media person in a town dominated by General Motors to have the courage to report the truth."

Moore, of course went on to become an American film director, producer, screenwriter and author.