Ira Joe Fisher

(CBS)  Ira Joe Fisher has been the weather reporter for The Saturday Early Show since 1999. In addition to in-studio forecasts, which feature his trademark "backward" presentations, Fisher can be seen entertaining crowds live on the plaza outside the CBS studios. Previously, Fisher served as a weather and feature reporter at WCBS-TV, the CBS-owned station in New York.

Before that, Fisher served as a weather and feature reporter for WNBC-TV/New York (1989-1995). Previously, he hosted "The Ira Joe Fisher Show," a daily talk/variety show on WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio (1985-89). He also worked at WKRC-TV in Cincinnati earlier in his career (1980-83), when he served as a weather reporter and co-host of "P.M. Magazine." He also appeared regularly on WKRC radio as a commentator. Before that, was a weather and feature reporter at WABC/New York and "Live with Regis and Kathy Lee" (1983-85).

Fisher worked for 10 years at KHQ-TV in Spokane, Wash., (1970-1980) as a disc jockey and reporter. In addition, he hosted a daily, five-hour radio broadcast, "The Ira Joe Radio Show," a daily magazine broadcast, "The Noon Thing"; and served as master of ceremonies for "Starlit Stairway," a weekly talent show that featured acts from around the American Northwest.

Fisher began his career at the age of 16 in radio broadcasting at WGGO-AM in Salamanca, N.Y. He also worked at WDOE-AM in Dunkirk, N.Y. and KWFR-FM in San Angelo, Texas.

Fisher is also a prolific writer and poet. He has received two Emmy Awards for television writing. Fisher served as a contributing editor for Spokane Magazine, and also has authored regular newspaper columns in The Stamford Advocate and The Greenwich Times. Fisher's poetry has appeared in Poetry New York, The Alembic, The New York Quarterly, Entelechy International, Ridgefield Magazine and the anthology Confrontation. He is the author of "Remembering Rew," a poetry chapbook.

His experience in acting has included appearances in the ABC daytime drama, "Loving"; the feature film, "California Girls"; "The Fantasticks," an off-Broadway production, and the Broadway production of "The Prince and the Pauper."

Fisher was born in Salamanca, N.Y. He has taught communications and broadcast history at New England College and poetry at the University of Connecticut, New England College and Founders Hall in Ridgefield, Conn. He was graduated from New England College with a master's degree in fine arts.