Bill Tribble, who was the news director at Macon CBS-affiliate WMAZ for two decades, died on Friday after suffering from cancer. He was 80.

Tribble joined the station, which at the time was a combined radio and television news operation, as a county reporter in 1959. He was named news director in 1963, a position he held for 20 years. In 1983, he took over as executive editor in charge of editorial programming and special projects.

Tribble also served as the host of WMAZ’s weekly interview program, “Close Up,” for more than 20 years. He retired in 1994.