Rick Henry, longtime Midlands TV sports anchor, taking time off to battle cancer
Longtime Midlands sportscaster Rick Henry will be taking a leave of absence from WIS-TV to battle prostate cancer.
Henry made the announcement on his broadcast Friday evening. His leave of absence will begin immediately and is expected to last four to six weeks.
“God has presented me with a challenge that I hope can also help others,” Henry said in a release from WIS. “My prostate cancer was detected early and my prognosis is good. I urge men to get regular check-ups. Sometimes guys need a little nudge to take care of their health. I’ll be off the air for a few weeks but I’ll be counting down the days until my return.”
The two-time S.C. National Sports Media Association Sportscaster of the Year has won multiple Emmy Awards and was the recipient of the S.C. Athletic Hall of Fame’s Herman Helms Media Excellence Award in 2014.
“All of us here at WIS are thinking about Rick and his family right now. The good news is Rick tells us the doctors caught this early and he is expected to make a full recovery.” WIS News Director Brad Hyatt said. “Viewers know and love Rick Henry because he is Mr. Sports in South Carolina. But Rick Henry is more than just a broadcasting legend. He’s a real friend and positive daily influence on everyone in the newsroom. So we will definitely miss him. But we are hopeful and confident Rick will be back very soon.”
Henry was born in McBee and went to college at South Carolina. His first job was at WPDE in Florence in 1981 before landing at WIS in 1988.
Since then, Henry has been a fixture in the Midlands. He was promoted to the station’s sports director in 1996. He is well-known for his Double Dog Dare segments, in which he accepted sports-related challenges.
This story was originally published August 14, 2020 at 6:19 PM.
