Craig Mark Davis is leaving his afternoon news anchor job at WILK radio. By the way, I've known him for forty years, and I still don't know whether to call him Craig or Mark.
We first met when CMD was the Luzerne County beat reporter for WNEP and I was a radio pup. It was a cordial relationship, and he was always willing to offer a quick tip to help this newbie find his way. I do remember his advice when WARM wanted to me to fill in as talk show host, and I was a tad reluctant. Craig said the words I've repeated often: "Never turn your back on an opportunity to broaden your horizons." Even though Craig was long gone when I arrived at WNEP in 1998, I learned that the Luzerne County beat was the most difficult in the shop, by far. He did it with professionalism and competence while facing intense competition from the other two stations in town. I cannot begin to describe how tough that beat was back in the day. Rich Noonan on one side. Kevin Jordan on the other. You also had a couple of radio stations getting the freshest headlines on the air every hour. Plus, it was an exceptionally busy time in Luzerne County. Crime. Trials. Turmoil in county government. It was a long list. Craig maneuvered through it all with his trademark factual and no nonsense style. Thankfully, he was not part of the "it's all about me" crowd.
When I think of Craig's long career, one thing instantly comes to mind. He might have been the best college public relations person in this area-- ever. Craig left WNEP for Wilkes College, now Wilkes University. The first gulf war broke out during the evening (our time) of August 2, 1990. When I arrived for work at WARM early the next morning, Craig had faxed in a list of Wilkes faculty who could be interviewed about the middle east, the military, politics, the economy, energy, and the war's impact on the United States. Bravo! He made my job easier, and he got the "Wilkes College" name out there for thousands to hear, on the top rated radio news station in the area. That's what a public relations person is supposed to do.
After a few other public relations jobs, it was back to broadcasting, behind the scenes in television news and in front of a microphone in radio.
I'm always happy when a friend retires and gets to relax, spending quality family time. Local media is stronger today because Craig was a factor for so long. On the other hand, it's difficult to lose such a professional.
Craig Mark, thank you.
