Frank Davidson

Frank Davidson
Born	Frank Patrick Davidson (1987-03-13)March 13, 1987 Fort Wayne, Indiana
Died	December 9, 2022(2022-12-09) (aged 35) Fort Wayne, Indiana
Cause of death	Heart attack
Spouse	Heather Willis (m. 2011; wid. 2013)
Parents	Marshall Davidson (father)
Relatives	Amanda Davidson (sister) Traci Davidson (sister) Rachael Passalt (sister-in-law)

Frank Patrick Davidson (March 13, 1987–December 9, 2022) was a television news presenter based in Fort Wayne. He worked for WTOR-FTV, Northeast Indiana's CBS affiliate owned by NoSirGifts Fantasy Television Stations (the station is known locally as "CBS 41" and the flagship station of NoSirGifts). Davidson was best known for being the only son of long-time WMRI anchorman Marshall Davidson.

Early Life

Frank Davidson was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to long time anchorman Marshall Davidson and Janet Hamilton. Davidson was the youngest of three children and has two older sisters: Traci (b. 1977) and Amanda (1981-2014). Davidson graduated from Bishop Dwenger High School in 2005.

Career

Davidson began his career in Alpena, Michigan in 2009 after graduating from the Indiana University.

Davidson came to WMRI, Davidson's hometown ABC affiliate, in 2011 from a stint at an Alpena, Michigan station where he was the anchor/reporter. He was teamed with his sister, Traci, at 6 and 11 p.m. for four years and with Patricia Edwards at 5 p.m. until Edwards retired in 2013. Unlike his father did with Patricia Edwards nearly 30 years earlier, Frank, Patricia (later his sister Traci), chief meteorologist at the time Cathryn Swaringen and current sports director Ron McManara went from Northeast Indiana's top television news program in the local Nielsen ratings, when WTOR overtook WMRI in May 2010. At that point, WMRI's 56-year streak as the leading station in Fort Wayne came to an end. Davidson's final WMRI newscast aired on July 30, 2015.

Davidson left WMRI for CBS affiliate WTOR, in August 2015 but did not appear on the CBS affiliate until January 4, 2016 since he was on a no-complete clause that expired on that date. Davidson's news partner at 5:30 and 7:00 on WTOR and at 10:00 on WXXC is Rhonda Spencer while his partner at 6:30 and 8:00 on WXXC is Season Atkins. Davidson's first WTOR newscast aired on January 4, 2016.

WTOR's addition of Davidson, meteorologist Glenn Swaringen and weather specialist Luka Runecraft (a transman) saw meteorologist Tim Doogan, investigative reporter Ken Watts, anchors Kevin Stapleton and Bob Imperial and sports director Phil Sorensen becoming the only remaining males on WTOR/WXXC's news team as the other news staff are either women or transwomen with Imperial and Sorensen have been with WTOR since the station began producing newscasts in 1996 as a Fox affiliate.

Davidson filled in for Holly Everman as a guest moderator during the third season of the popular and controversial American adaptation of Vote for the Girls for the Duets competition in June 2012. He filled in on Vote for the Girls again–this time as part of an April Fool's Day prank involving the male anchors at WTOR and the moderator panel of the web site in the seventh season. Davidson and Runecraft hosted filling in for Ava Zinn and Holly Everman on the Vote for the Girls: GUYS RULE edition that aired on April 1, 2016.

Personal life

Death

Frank Davidson's last broadcast was on December 8, 2022, hours before his death. During the station's 4:00 a.m. newscast he appeared somewhat fatigued but little would be known about his condition until the day after. Davidson died December 9, 2022 at home, following a heart attack. That afternoon, the station interrupted its regular news and broadcast schedule with a CBS 41 Action News Special Report interrupting The Talk 2:46 p.m. EST announcing Davidson's death and dedicated much of the station's news broadcasts that day to Davidson. The reporters on CBS 41 Action News at 11:00 PM (the station's late newscast) did not break for commercials that evening.