Who is Pam Oliver? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Pamela Donielle Oliver

Age: 63 Years, 63 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Alvin Whitney (m. 1990)

father: John Oliver

mother: Mary Oliver

African American Women Sportscasters

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Females

Notable Alumni: Florida A&M University

City: Dallas, Texas

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: Florida A&M University

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Career

Pamela Oliver loved sports as a teenager. She was an excellent athlete who represented her school in basketball, tennis and track and field events. It was just the beginning of her lifelong passion for competitive sports. Her excellent performances in various sports in school events earned her a sports scholarship to the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). While Oliver wanted to do well in sports, she also wanted to excel in academics. She chose to study broadcast journalism in college and continued to participate in and win many competitions. In particular, she is remembered for winning All-American titles in the 400-meter race and one-mile relay. She also managed to qualify for the US Olympic track team trials, but later decided to give up her sports career and became a sports reporter.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1984, she embarked on a sportscasting career and joined WALB in Georgia as a news reporter in 1985. After a year-long stint with WALB, she moved to WAAY-TV in Alabama where she continued reporting for the next two years and actively participated in their sports coverage. In 1988, she managed to find a higher position at WIVB-TV in New York and moved there. Soon enough, a new opportunity as a sports anchor was offered to her by WTVT in 1991, and it proved to be a turning point in her career. Oliver’s career received a further boost in 1993 when she was asked to join ESPN, one of the biggest sports television networks. Despite having covered sports for several news stations and networks, it was her first time as a professional sportscaster. Her expertise and hard work attracted the attention of many major networks, and her name was often mentioned whenever the topic of sports coverage by women came up. The issues of racism and sexism at the time were deftly averted by the talented journalist.

Her next big leap came in 1995 when she joined Fox Sports in Atlanta as a reporter. She also anchored two shows for them: 'Southern Sports Report' and 'Southern Sports Tonight'. Apart from this, she also worked as a sideline reporter on the channel’s NFL coverage. Her tenure with Fox Sports added many achievements to her portfolio. She reported for the NBA playoffs, interviewed many experts and athletes and created feature programs and documentaries that focused on the lives of sportspeople. Her interviewing skills have been praised by the likes of Rudy Mortzke and Larry Stewart.

Oliver's contributions to journalism didn't go unnoticed by her hometown and alma mater. She was inducted into the ‘Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame’ in 1996, just when she was entering the peak of her career. In 2004, she was recognized for her contributions to journalism and was awarded the ‘Ebony Outstanding Woman in Journalism’. With accolades and achievements aplenty, Oliver continued to be at the helm of various shows at Fox, in addition to being their NFL sideline reporter until 2014. In 2014, she was replaced by Erin Andrews - a change that got mixed reactions from the viewers. In 2015, Oliver switched to the secondary broadcasting team for NFL and has continues to report for them. She currently works for the program '60 Minute Sports', which replays segments from its original series '60 Minutes.'

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Family & Personal Life

Pamela Donielle Oliver was born on March 10, 1961 in Dallas, Texas to John and Mary Oliver. Since her father worked in the United States Air Force, her family frequently moved across the country during her childhood. She and her two sisters grew up in a loving household. Oliver was interested in various sports since a young age. She graduated from Niceville High School in Florida, where she was a professional at tennis, basketball, and track and field races. She is currently married to the award-winning TV producer Alvin Whitney, and the couple has been together since 1990. They currently live in Atlanta with three pet dogs. The couple does not have any children.

Pam Oliver Biography