Canadian motorsport racer Bill Adam and his wife, Diane Magnum, who has a background in sports journalism, played a significant role in shaping their daughter Shea’s career as a TV and radio reporter.
Bill Adam is a notable figure in Canadian motorsport, beginning his motorsport journey in the early 1970s.
He co-drove the Jaguar XJR-5 with Bob Tullius at the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona, including many other vehicles.
Diane was among the sports journalists who interviewed Bill during his first Miami GP around 1987. Back then, little did they know they would be the finest couple in the racing world.
They also share a daughter from their years-long partnership who is even into racing broadcasting as her parents.
Diane Magnum Spent Over 25 Years With Channel 10 in Sports Journalism!
Canadian racing legend Bill Adam’s wife, Diane Magnum, is a retired news anchor with a notable career in journalism.
She had worked mainly within the South Florida news market. Over her 25-year career, Diane witnessed the most historic and prolific events around the sport.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she was the youngest reporter in the newsroom of WPLG Channel 10 in 1983.
At the same time, around 1987, she interviewed Bill Adam on his first Miami GP, who later became her husband.
Sports and investigative journalism gave her professional success and laid the way for her family.
With consistency and experience, she paved her way to the top position of main evening news anchor. She had an opportunity to work with the finest people in the business.
Diane was also part of a community outreach program called Magnum’s Force. Back then, with the power of television, the program successfully raised more than $6.5 million to help families in need.
Talking about Diane’s background, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Arts from Florida State University. She majored in Political Science and Mass Communications.
After completing her education, she began working as a News Anchor and Reporter at WPLG.
She worked from January 1983 to March 2008, accumulating over 25 years of experience in the news space.
Throughout her time with Channel 10, she garnered multiple awards and accolades. She received two Emmy Awards, a Green Eye Shade Award for investigative journalism, and two UPI awards.
She was the first-ever local television journalist to win the William S. Paley Award during their time at WPLG.
After she retired from Channel 10, she began working as a News Anchor for WFOR TV Miami, CBS Miami, for almost 7 years.
Diane Magnum Adam also has decade-long experience as a commercial spokesperson for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Bill and Diane Magnum Adam’s Daughter, Shea Adam, Also Serves as an Auto Racing Broadcast Reporter!
Shea Adam, born on January 11, 1990, is the daughter of Bill Adam and Diane Magnum Adam. Her parent’s background in journalism and commentary influenced her entrance to her current profession.
Growing up in a family entrenched in the automotive and broadcasting industries, Shea was exposed to racing from a young age.
However, she attended the Palmer Trinity School in Miami and later went to Florida State University to finish her degree.
Despite early exposure to racing, she worked and paved the pathway from working as a graphics supervisor for the ALMS to debuting as a pitch reporter.
Though she never got to be in the same space as her mother, she frequently appeared with her dad.
Her debut as a pit lane reporter came at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2012. After that, Shea Adam got into mainstream media and gained further exposure.
Later, she joined the Canadian sports network Sportsnet in July 2013 and it was there where Bill and Shea first appeared together.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Motorsport Hall of Famer Bill Adam’s first car, the Corvette Grand Sport #001, is now valued at over $2 million.
- Bill was self-sponsored, and his first car was a Corvette worth $2,300.
- His parents immigrated from Scotland to Canada, and he grew up in Oakville with a keen interest in cars.
