Fred Hickman, a longtime sports broadcaster who worked at WDIV in the 1980s, has passed away at the age of 66.
Hickman was the first broadcaster to work for the Yankees official broadcast network.
“Fred was a joy to work with and a joyful person,” Yankees announcer Michael Kay said in a statement. “A total pro that you felt comfortable with knowing he would lead you the right way on the air. He was the first voice ever heard on YES and his professionalism put us on the right track, a track we are on all these years later.”
Hickman had a long sportscasting career, spanning decades and several markets. He was working at CNN when he left to join WDIV in 1984 as a sports desk anchor, also working as a beat reporter for the Detroit Tigers at the time,
Hickman also worked for ESPN, TBS, Fox Sports, and a few other local news stations.
