Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Sportscaster Dave Calabro announced plans Tuesday to retire from WTHR-TV Channel 13 after 32 years with the station.
In a video posted on social media, the Ben Davis High School and Butler University grad said he will end his Channel 13 tenure at the end of 2024.
“It’s my choice,” said Calabro, who noted that his contract extends beyond 2024. “It’s time to pass the microphone on here at Channel 13.”
Calabro has worked as a track announcer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1985. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Indianapolis Motor Speedway told the IBJ that Calabro will continue in that role.
Presently the sports director at Channel 13, Calabro joined the staff of the NBC affiliate in 1992. Before that, he worked for five years at WDTN-TV in Dayton, Ohio.
In 2022, Calabro was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.
Calabro’s older brother, Kevin Calabro, is a now-retired national sportscaster who got his start in Indianapolis calling high school and college basketball games as well as hockey games for the Indianapolis Checkers.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Bring back Chet Coppock to replace him!
I believe Chet Coppock died five years ago in 2019 in a traffice accident.
Please, please find someone new to be the PA announcer at the 500. He is awful at it.
I’ll second that.
Totally disagree.
I’d have to disagree. Nobody could replace Tom Carnegie, but Dave’s style has become iconic over time.
I’m mostly indifferent about his PA announcing at IMS, but his incessant babbling during the pace car ride around the track with the winner is horrendous. He must be paid by the word.
I third. WTHR has no sports department anymore. Time for a needed upgrade.
He is a treasure to Indianapolis (both in the newsroom and at the Speedway)!
Great run Dave! Congrats, see you at the track.
Wow what a loss for Indianapolis! Dave is such a positive, thoughtful, kind, and hard working newscaster. We will miss seeing him on the nightly newscast.
Admittedly I haven’t watched WTHR in a few years but if memory serves Dave was never live in studio and always did pre-taped sports casts/segments.
Good for him! It’s WTHR’s loss. I can’t wait to see what he does next. I can’t imagine it’s a true retirement.
Why the Debbie Downers on 32 years of service to the community
IMS…..this year was my 54th race. Who among us could do what Tom Carnegie and Dave Calabrian have done and do
Think and comment positively people….please!
Dave Lindquist, thanks for the story on my friend Dave Calabro. He is the quintessential Hall Of Fame broadcaster and his huge body of work from the Indy 500 to Super Bowls to Operation Football is a real testament to a magnificent career. Dave is also one of the kindest, funniest most positive people I’ve ever known in broadcasting. He is a great man.
He can come back to Chanel 2 In Dayton Ohio
Please can he retire from IMS? One of the worst parts of the day is constantly hearing him blathering on about something useless. He never stops talking. One year the PA system was out in my section and it was glorious.