Fritz Coleman

Updated 12:25 PM PST, Fri, Jul 24, 2009

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Fritz Coleman provides his own unique weather forecasts on NBC 7/39 News at 4,5,6 and 11 p.m. each weekday. A Southern California broadcasting icon, Coleman is well known for his sense of humor and extensive knowledge of weather.

Coleman has been named Best Weathercaster in nearly every major paper in Southern California, including the Orange County Register (Critic's Choice Pool), the San Bernardino Sun (Readers Poll) and four times in the Los Angeles Daily News (Readers Poll).

Coleman devotes much of his free time to charitable activities and frequently organizes evenings of entertainment for local service and civic organizations, as well as serving as master of ceremonies for dozens of Southern California community events. He has won a number of awards and honors for his dedication to community service. In 2004, he won two Humanitarian of the Year Awards – one from Shelter Partnership and the other from the California Hospital Medical Center. The City of Los Angeles named Coleman a "Treasure of Los Angeles" in 1999, and the United States House of Representatives gave him the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his fundraising efforts on behalf of the American Red Cross. Coleman has also been honored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Salvation Army for his long-time commitment to the organization and his efforts as Christmas Fundraising Chairman and for chairing the annual Fritz Coleman Fair Weather Golf Tournament.

A long-time stand-up comic, Coleman has performed at The Improvisation, The IceHouse and other Southern California comedy clubs. He has utilized his humor in a number of series and specials over the years including "What a Week" (1990 – 1991), "It’s Fritz" (1988-1990), "Fritz and Friends" (Special) and "The Perils of Parenting" (Special). He received four Los Angeles area Emmy Awards for his work on comedy specials and series.

Coleman has written, produced and starred in three one-man plays. His first production "It's Me! Dad!" won the coveted 1997 Artistic Directors Award. A humorous and touching account of what happens when a "baby boomer" tries to recount his own life for his young children, the play shows how the father comes to grips with the passage of time and the skeletons in his own closet. The production also aired successfully on public television in Los Angeles.

"The Reception," Coleman's second play, is an insightful and hilarious look at relationships found at an imaginary wedding reception - the bride’s second marriage -- the groom's third. His most recent play, "Tonight at 11!" is an insider’s look at a typical local newscast. A rollercoaster ride between funny and poignant, Daily Variety called it, "surprising, incisive and powerful."

Coleman moved to Los Angeles in 1980 from Buffalo, New York, where he worked as an on-air radio personality. Prior to that, he was a disc jockey and radio talk show host at various stations throughout the country. Coleman also worked as a stand-up comic at various clubs throughout Southern California. He has also made a number of appearances on the "Tonight Show" and other non-scripted and scripted television programs.

Originally from Philadelphia, Coleman attended Salem College in West Virginia and Temple University in Philadelphia where he studied radio, television and film. Coleman is an avid runner, rollerblader and skier. He lives in the San Fernando Valley and has two sons and a daughter.