Bart Barker
WICD Sports Anchor/Reporter

Bart comes to Champaign from Jackson, Tennessee where he served as Sports Director at ABC-7 for nearly three years. Covering anything from high school, college, and pro sports to even Frisbee Golf, he admits that covering sports is what he was meant to do.

“Let’s face it, I was horrible at math and science but I always thought I was a good communicator and I love sports, therefore I put two and two together and the end result landed me a job after college and I was able to pay some bills….not bad!” says Bart.

While working for ABC-7 Bart was able to cover college and professional sports all across the state, however Bart says that even though he had incredible experiences covering the Tennessee Vols and the Tennessee Titans, his most cherished moments hit a little closer to home.

“High school sports is where star athletes of tomorrow are born. There’s nothing better than seeing a local team that you cover winning a state championship. Seeing the athletes run to mid-field or mid-court hoisting their trophy in the air after a title game is the ultimate moment….even I get chills. I’m hopeful that teams in East Central Illinois will bring home a lot of hardware.”

Bart is graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication with emphasis in Electronic Media Journalism. His freshman and sophomore year he attended Campbellsville University (Ky.) to suit up for the Fighting Tigers football squad.

During Bart’s senior year at MTSU he was able to work with the Titans Radio Network in Nashville. From covering training camp to getting the story after the game, Bart credits that experience as a real “eye-opener.”

“After being given the opportunities with Titans Radio Network, I knew without a doubt that sports broadcasting was the career route I needed to take.”

Bart is proud to call Savannah, TN his hometown. It’s located on the Tennessee River, near the Alabama and Mississippi border, about 120 miles east of Memphis. It’s the home of country music star Darryl Worley, the NAIA National Football Championship Game, and “The Catfish Capital of the World.” His true loves are his family and St. Louis Cardinals baseball. He’s quick to mention that he holds the all-time record for homeruns in his hometown for Little League Baseball. When he’s not working, chances are he’s either running, watching or reading anything that has to do with sports, or hitting golf balls that seem to always find the woods, a nearby highway, or even a cornfield.