Al Roker

Al Roker has been the weather and feature reporter on NBC News TODAY since January 1996. Since July 2009 he has also been co-host of the morning show Wake Up with Al on the Weather channel. Until January of 2000, Roker also served as the weekday weather forecaster for News Channel 4s early evening newscast Live at 5 on WNBC-TV, NBCs flagship owned and operated station in New York City.

New York magazine has twice named Roker Best Weatherman. He came to WNBC-TV as a weekend weathercaster in December 1983 from WKYC-TV, the NBC television affiliate in Cleveland. Roker began his broadcasting career while still in college by landing a job as a weekend weatherman WTVH-TV in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1974. After graduation he moved on to weathercasting jobs in Washington, D.C. (1976-1978) and Cleveland, Ohio (1978-1983). He is a recipient of the American Meteorological Societys prestigious Seal of Approval and has been a pioneer in the use of computer graphics for weathercasting.

Among highlights of his career as an interviewer, Roker conducted an exclusive interview with Charles Schulz shortly before the Peanuts creators death from colon cancer. Since 1985, he has served each holiday season as co-host for the annual Christmas at Rockefeller Center. The seven-time Emmy Award winner also co-hosts The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rose Bowl Paradeand appears on various specials for NBC.

In 1994, Roker founded Al Roker Productions, Inc., a company involved in the development and production of network, cable, home video and public television projects. Two of the most successful projects include Savage Skies, a critically acclaimed special on PBS about severe weather, and a highly rated travel series, Going Places.

Roker is a bestselling author with four acclaimed books to his credit. His first book, Dont Make Me Stop This Car: Adventures in Fatherhood spent weeks atop the New York Times best-seller list. In May 2002, Al Rokers Big Bad Book of Barbecue was published and, quickly became a summer blockbuster hit. His second cookbook, Al Rokers Hassle Free Holiday Cookbook, became a huge success as it prepared Americas budding chefs for the holidays. Big Shoes: In Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood honors fathers and their contributions to lives of their children. Roker also wrote, with Dick Lochte, the mystery novel The Morning Show Murders.

In 2007, Roker launched a regular segment on TODAY called Als Book Club for Kids in which he regularly chooses books designed to keep young people excited about reading and showcases them on air.

Roker is a member of the Friars Club, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Meteorological Society.

Raised in Queens, New York, Roker received his B.A. in Communications from the State University of New York-Oswego in 1976, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the school in 1998. He resides in Manhattan with his wife, ABC News 20/20 correspondent Deborah Roberts; they have two daughters and one son.