Longtime Baltimore reporter and weekend sports anchor Stan Saunders has died.
Saunders was best known for his time at WJZ in Baltimore. He retired from the station in 2013.
In a statement to WJZ, his family said Saunders was suffering from long COVID.
“It turned into sarcoidosis and took its toll,” the family said in a statement. “So, it is well with his soul and our souls that The Man, The Myth, The Legend has gone to his resting place in Heaven.”
“He was truly beloved in our newsroom,” WJZ said in a statement. “Stan had a way with words. More than that, he had a presence you could feel. When Stan was in the newsroom, you knew it; his energy, humor, and spirit made us all better.”
Saunders was well known in the Baltimore community, even off television screens. He was the founder of the nonprofit Baltimore Academy of Sports and Entertainment, which was incorporated into the Baltimore City Public School System in 2020. Saunders also served as an adjunct professor at Towson University and a professor of Media Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He also worked as a substitute teacher at two Baltimore-area high schools: Edmonson-Westside High and Loch Raven Tech.
Tributes poured in for Saunders on social media, including from politicians such as U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski, who represents Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District.
Rest in peace, Stan. Your compassion, wisdom, and love for sports touched so many in Baltimore and beyond. My thoughts and prayers are with the Saunders family and their loved ones. We will miss you. https://t.co/op2QLptsoR
— Rep. Johnny Olszewski (@RepJohnnyO) June 29, 2026
Colleagues also paid tribute, including WJZ investigative reporter Mike Hellgren, who posted a 1994 video of Saunders.
REST IN PEACE, STAN! Stan Saunders was a great broadcaster. A pro sports anchor. His personality lit up the screen.
And he was a versatile broadcaster, too. Here he is pressed into Snow Show duty at BWI in 1994 with Don Scott and Marty Bass. @wjz https://t.co/ITHwIY69Zv pic.twitter.com/qBBFf2OMWe
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 29, 2026
He was a kind talented man. RIP Stan https://t.co/zx0dNV143o
— Chick Hernandez (@MrChickSports) June 29, 2026
One of the good guys in our business . Condolences to Stan’s family and his @wjz family and all the lives he touched https://t.co/AdKqf2bMkC
— Robert Lang WBAL (@Reporterroblang) June 29, 2026
Saunders was 72 years old.
About Manny Soloway
Manny Soloway is a Iowa based writer focusing on TV ratings. He is also the founder of the TV Media Blog substack.