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Al Sunshine

Al Sunshine has been reporting for CBS4 since 1988. He is best known for his “4 Your Money” series which reports and investigates on behalf of South Florida consumers. Prior to CBS4, Al worked for the Cable News Network and at WTVJ.

Many of Al’s special investigative/consumer reports have prompted responses from government agencies resulting in significant regulatory changes. Among these are a railing safety investigative report which revealed that an alarming number of balcony railings were corroding and resulted in statewide railing safety regulations in 1989; school bus safety report resulting in the Florida School Bus Safety Law of 1990; discount club scam report which prompted consumer protection regulations in Dade and Broward and the Florida Vehicle Protection Act of 1993; and Al’s reports on the quality of drinking water have resulted in better detection and control of cancer-producing chemicals which were found above federally-approved levels in the water of several local municipalities.

In 1994, Al investigated car leasing scams, and showed it to the Florida Senate. He also testified before the group leading to new consumer protection regulations for the car leasing industry.

Prior to joining WFOR, Al worked for the Cable News Network as the Miami Bureau news manager, acting bureau chief and correspondent, where he covered the Challenger disaster and traveled extensively around Latin America. He also worked at WTVJ in Miami as a general assignment reporter and at the Communications Department of the Dade County Manager’s office.

Sunshine has received numerous honors for his reporting, including the Miami Police Department Accuracy and Fairness Award (1976), the Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers Media Award (1991) and the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association Award (1992). Sunshine has also received the Florida Public Health Association award; National Association of Consumer Agency award, Administrators 1st place Television Award in 1994, and the 1995 Consumer Champion Award from the Florida Consumer Action Network. He received an Emmy Award for a “Shame On You” report on illegal police parking and a second Emmy for exposing fraud in auto insurance. He was also inducted into Iron Arrow, the University of Miami’s prestigious honor society. In addition to his other Emmy nominations, Al recently received the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ distinguished Silver Circle award, signifying 25 years of superior reporting in South Florida.

Al’s consumer reporting is also syndicated in more than a dozen of Miami’s Community Newspapers. He also writes a weekly column for The Miami Herald.

Al is a graduate of the University of Miami where he received the Outstanding Journalism Graduate Sigma Delta Chi Award. He is married to Deborah, a special education teacher at Palmetto Elementary. They have two daughters – Melissa, a youth services librarian in Palm Beach Gardens, and Stephanie, a student at FSU. A native of Chicago, Sunshine and his family reside in South Dade.

The Hidden Cost Of Some Free Apps

Sure they are free, but some of the most popular mobile apps could be tracking your every move and revealing your personal and financial data.

CBS4–2013/05/03

Employees of four South Florida clinics were charged with filing false medical claims. (Source: Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office)

Nearly Two Dozen People Arrested For Insurance Fraud

Prosecutors have uncovered 21 people, based out of local clinics, involved in elaborate scams that totaled almost half a million dollars in phony medical bills.

2013/05/01

Congress Considering Tax On All Internet Purchases

Shopping online in an effort to dodge sales tax may soon come to an end.

CBS4–2013/04/25

Consumers Look To Internet To Solve Complaints

One of the most maddening things you can deal with as a consumer is what to do when you have a complaint. Who do you turn to? It turns out there’s a growing industry that is making it much easier for consumers to finally get some action when they’ve been wronged.

CBS4–2013/04/11

Senate Lawmakers Reveal Plan To Stop Tax ID Fraud

For the first time, lawmakers in the U.S. Senate unveiled how they plan to stop a growing national scam that’s stolen billions of dollars in tax money from Uncle Sam and legitimate taxpayers alike: tax refund fraud.

CBS4–2013/04/10

Jobs Numbers From March Disappoint

The American economy sputtered in March with just 88,000 new jobs created. That was a large drop-off from the previous month’s 268,000 new jobs added to the workforce.

CBS Miami–2013/04/05

The HTC First will cost $99 from AT&T. (Credit: CNET)

First “Facebook Phone” To Be Released April 12

Facebook just pulled the wraps off of a new and specially branded smartphone today. Crafted in partnership with mobile hardware manufacturer HTC, the HTC First will run the Facebook Home, a custom version of Google’s Android software tied in tightly with the Facebook social networking service.

CBS4–2013/04/04