SAG-AFTRA Mourns the Passing of Broadcaster Joe Krebs

LOS ANGELES — Broadcaster Joe Krebs, who was a member of the SAG-AFTRA National Board and a recipient of the George Heller Memorial Award for union service, died this morning at the age of 78.   

“Joe was a true union man. His breadth of knowledge and experience was an enormous asset to SAG-AFTRA. The work he did in support of his fellow members and for the principles of fairness and justice will endure,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “Joe was also my friend and I will miss him dearly. I send my deepest condolences to his friends, family and loved ones.”

Krebs served as president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ Washington-Baltimore Local from 1997–2009. At the conclusion of his service, Krebs was presented with the National AFTRA President Founder’s Award. Krebs began his AFTRA National Board service in 2000 and was instrumental in the merger of Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA; he co-wrote both the new union’s constitution and its dues structure. He went on to serve on the SAG-AFTRA National Board since the union’s merger in 2012.

Krebs had an extensive broadcast career, starting in 1970 with WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina, after graduating law school. He spent the last three decades of his career at WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., where he became a local institution. His work earned him numerous Emmys. He retired in 2012, but continued to serve the union, including chairing the National Broadcast Steering Committee.

In 2017, at SAG-AFTRA’s third biennial convention, Krebs received the George Heller Memorial Award, which takes the form of a gold membership card and is given to those with an exceptional record of serving the union and its members. On April 1, 2021, he was awarded SAG-AFTRA’s President’s Award for meritorious service.

See the NBC News4 Washington remembrance of Krebs here.

About SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.