WKBN-TV Newscaster Ode Aduma retires

A retrospective of his career will air Sunday.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ode Aduma, one of the Mahoning Valley's most recognizable newscasters, is signing off for the last time.
The WKBN-TV reporter of 34 years will retire today. His weekly show, "Sunday Morning with Ode Aduma" will air for the last time Sunday.
"I wanted to retire at the top of my game," said Aduma, who turned 62 in August.
And that he will. On Saturday, Aduma will be enshrined in the Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Akron. He will also receive the Youngstown Black Knights Police Association's community service award that day.
A retrospective
Sunday's farewell show, which starts at 8 a.m., will provide a retrospective of Aduma's career. It will also be the last chance to hear the newsman give his well-enunciated, signature sign-off phrase: "O-day A-doo-ma ... 27 First News."
How did that ever get started? "Many people had a pronunciation problem with my name. I was just telling them how to pronounce it," said Aduma. He added that he still gets letters addressed to Odea Duma and Ode Oduma.
In an African language, Ode means "born away from home" and Aduma means "family of courage."
Started as an artist
It was Aduma's clear, rich voice that got him started in broadcasting.
He was working as a fashion artist at Strouss' "A friend told me I had a great voice and persuaded me to get into television," Aduma said. It turned into a newscasting position at WKBN that stretched into a career.
"I have no regrets," said Aduma. "It has been a wonderful experience. I met people whom I never would have met if I wasn't who I was. I interviewed presidents and future presidents and wanna-be presidents. And people know me and they're kind to me when they see me on the street."
Aduma, who handled the "neighborhood news" segment in addition to his regular reporting, viewed himself as "a blue-collar worker who just liked doing what I was doing."
He was the first Youngstown reporter to do a live news report.
"It was about 20 years ago," he recalled. "[Then Rep.] Jim Traficant was holding a news conference. I told him that there would be no tape delay, but Jim let some words fly. He swore on the air!"
Memorable moments
Other on-the-job moments stand out in Aduma's mind.
"I've had two people who were wanted for murder turn themselves in to me," Aduma said. "One of them is still doing time, but the other wasn't convicted."
Another memorable moment came when Aduma was covering a massive, powerful explosion at an illegal fireworks factory on Western Reserve Road. "Debris was everywhere," he said. "The fire chief said there were no survivors. I asked him, 'Well then where are the bodies?' He replied, 'You're walking on them.'"
Aduma started at WKBN in the early '70s, just as the Watergate scandal began to unfold. He was still unsure of himself when it came to reporting the news, but became hooked as he watched newscasters like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather unravel the story.
He's seen a lot of technological changes in his 34 years. "We were using black and white film when I first started," he said. But he said he's had fun the whole time.
Personal history
Aduma, who moved to Youngstown with his family when he was 9, has a degree from Youngstown State University.
Four years ago, he underwent open-heart surgery to clear clogged arteries, and has since made a strong recovery.
Retirement will give Aduma more time to pursue his hobbies.
"I do some wine and beer making. I'm an avid bicyclist, and I like to kayak," said Aduma, who is a former president of the Outspokin' Wheelmen cycling club and a member of the Trumbull Canoe Trails Club.
"And my daughters reminded me that I had promised to do a painting for each of them when they have their homes. I have one almost done, so I'll finish that and then do the rest."