Floyd Kalber, 79; Correspondent, TV News Anchor Won Five Emmys

Floyd Kalber, a television news anchor whose career included stints on NBC’s “Today” show and on two highly rated programs in Chicago, has died, family members said. He was 79.

Kalber, winner of five Emmy awards, died Thursday of emphysema at his home in the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge. Kalber left WMAQ-TV in Chicago in 1976 after 16 years as the 10 p.m. anchor to appear on the “Today” show in New York. He left the position after three years to work as a network correspondent with NBC. While at NBC, he covered the national political conventions from 1960-1974. He was also anchor of the NBC Sunday News and covered the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 space flights.

He retired from NBC in 1981.

But Kalber came out of retirement in 1984 to help revive Chicago’s WLS-TV, anchoring its evening newscast. He enjoyed another run of 14 years with top ratings, retiring from the ABC affiliate in 1998.

“Mr. Kalber was able to mix rock-solid authority with his pleasant, folksy demeanor to create a larger-than-life persona,” said Steve Scott, president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Assn.

Kalber was born in Omaha and spent his childhood in an orphanage after his parents were divorced. He served in the Army in the South Pacific during World War II. He briefly attended Creighton University after the war before taking a radio job in Kearney, Neb. He started his career in television at KMTV-TV in Omaha.

Kalber is survived by his wife of 57 years, Betty, a son, a daughter and six grandchildren.