Rick Jackson

Broadcast news veteran Rick Jackson is Ideastream Public Media’s senior host and producer, and hosts WCPN’s the "Sound of Ideas," as well as WVIZ’s "NewsDepth," newscasts and many of Ideastream’s special programs.

Rick has been with Ideastream since 2003 after spending 22 years in commercial television, reporting and anchoring for stations in Memphis, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and twice in Cleveland, for WKYC-TV in the 80s and at WOIO/WUAB from 1999-2002.

In his 40-plus years in local and network television broadcasting and in radio, 2022 marked the 36th year he has been seen or heard on the air in some part of Ohio.

Rick returned to Northeast Ohio from New York City, where he served four years as anchor of CBS News "Up to the Minute," a four-hour live international news program, airing in 48 states and more than 50 foreign countries. During his time at CBS, Jackson conducted more than 3,000 interviews with newsmakers, as well as contributed materials to other CBS News broadcasts.

He has interviewed presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and both George Bushes. He's covered stories ranging from Hurricane Hugo, to the crash of TWA Flight 800 in New York, to the fall of the PTL national religious television network. He’s also reported and hosted programs from national political nominating conventions in New Orleans (1988), Chicago (1996) and Cleveland (2016).

Rick is hosting Ideastream Public Media's "NewsDepth" for an 18th season. The Emmy Award-winning educational and news program designed for young people is also seen on many of Ohio’s public television stations, The Ohio Channel and online in hundreds of schools statewide. He also previously hosted "Academic Challenge," the educational quiz show airing on WEWS-TV in Cleveland.

Directly prior to joining Ideastream, Jackson hosted the nationally syndicated public affairs series "Village America," airing on many PBS stations including WVIZ, during 2002.

Rick has received more than 30 regional Emmy Award nominations and won six Emmys. He has also won multiple Communicator, Society of Professional Journalists, Cleveland Press Club, Parents’ Choice and Associated Press awards for both reporting and anchoring, including Best Anchor honors in 2011 and 2012 from the AP (radio) and from the Ohio SPJ in 2016 and 2018 (TV).

He was inducted into the Ohio Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2001.

Pittsburgh-born, Rick is a graduate of West Virginia's Bethany College and has been married to his wife Brenda for more than 39 years. They have a son who produces documentary films and lives in New York City.

Email Rick or give him a call.