Reporters

Veteran investigative reporter Steve Wilson, who spent nearly a decade with Detroit’s WXYZ before leaving in 2010 after his contract was not renewed, is returning to TV with WJXX-WTLV in Jacksonville.

WXYZ reporter Ross Jones announced the move this week on the Michigan Radio and TV Buzzboard.

“Bad guys in Florida: your days are numbered,” Jones wrote on the forum. “On Monday, Steve Wilson was named investigative reporter at the Gannett station in Jacksonville.” Read more

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Blake Hanson has joined WDSU, the NBC-affiliate in New Orleans.

Hanson comes from KOMU in Columbia, MO, where he has been a reporter, morning fill-in anchor and producer since 2008. During his time in Columbia, he also reported for Newsy.com and several local radio stations.

Hanson will be a reporter for WDSU’s morning newscast. His first day at the station is today.

Calvert Collins is joining KDFW, the Fox O&O in Dallas, as a general assignment reporter. Her first day on the air will be June 18.

Collins, a Dallas native, returns to Texas from Las Vegas, where she was a reporter and fill-in anchor at CBS-affiliate KLAS. Prior to that, she served in the same role at KPTM in Omaha.

“It is a dream come true for me to return to Dallas-Fort Worth to work for KDFW,” Collins said in a statement. “I am a seventh-generation Texan, born and raised in Dallas, who rarely missed a FOX4 9 o’clock newscast growing up. I am thrilled to begin the next chapter of my life in my hometown.”

Reporter Stephanie Kolp will join Orlando NBC-affiliate WESH next month, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Kolp comes from WBBH, the NBC-affiliate in Fort Myers. Prior to that, she was a reporter, anchor and producer at WLNS in Lansing, MI. She will begin at WESH on June 21.

“Stephanie is a strong storyteller and is exceptional at covering live, breaking news situations — which means she will fit right in here in our always changing news landscape,” WESH news director Bob Longo said in a staff memo obtained by the Sentinel.

Justin Robinson has left KMBC, the ABC-affiliate in Kansas City, Bottom Line Communications reports.

Robinson was a weekday morning reporter for KMBC. He joined the station in 2008 from WANE, the CBS-affiliate in Fort Wayne, IN.

Robinson’s last day on air was April 20. Bottom Line reports his future plans are not known.

WXYZ reporter Val Clark is set to retire after more than 30 years with the Detroit ABC-affiliate.

Earlier this week, Clark was honored by the Detroit City Council for her work at the station. She will step away from WXYZ, where she has worked since 1980, this summer.

“I personally feel that she has carried the flag for the spirit of Detroit for the past thirty years,” WXYZ anchor Diana Lewis said during a recent newscast. “So I’m happy to see city council members recognizing her for all she has done.”

Clark joined WXYZ as a news writer. She was eventually promoted to producer and has spent the better part of her career working as a general assignment reporter for the staion. Read more

A KMPH news crew went to cover an incident in which an eight-month-old baby fell out of a parked car on Monday, and they wound up coming face-to-face with the baby’s father. The resulting confrontation made for “a story you’ll only see on KMPH.”

The baby was flown to an area hospital just hours before KMPH anchor-reporter Nicole Garcia and photographer Matt Romero arrived at the scene so they expected the boy’s parents to be there with him. They didn’t know what the baby’s father looked like but it became apparent who he was after he began shouting at them and pushing the camera lens away from his face. Read more

Having just passed a motorcycle safety course, WXII reporter Stephanie Berzinski was showing off her biker skills on a shiny new Harley during the NBC-affiliate’s 5 p.m. newscast on Monday, when it became clear that she needed a bit more practice (video above).

“I have to laugh this one off,” Berzinski wrote on her Facebook page following the incident. “Yes, I am forever embarrassed and yes I was totally mad at myself, but hey–that’s live TV for you.  Mistakes happen.  Obviously.  Either way I still passed and have my motorcycle endorsement.  I think I’m gonna start off with a Vespa.”

Brian McIntyre, who spent 18 years working as a reporter in markets around Ohio, died Sunday night following a battle with cancer. He was 42.

McIntyre spent most of his broadcasting career covering the news in his hometown of Cleveland, first with WEWS and last with local cable news station ONN. He also worked at WBNS in Columbus and WNWO in Toledo.

After eight years at ONN, McIntyre left TV in 2009 for a job as a a community relations specialist for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Read more

Brittni Smallwood has joined WIVB, the CBS-affiliate in Buffalo. She comes from WETM, the NBC-affiliate in Elmira, NY, where she co-anchored the morning newscast.

Smallwood, who will report for the morning and noon newscasts, is one of two that joined WIVB from WETM today. The other is Steve Vesey, who will join WIVB’s sports team.

“Brittni comes to News 4 with a lot of talent and ambition and she will be a terrific fit with our team,” news director Joseph Schlaerth told TVSpy. “She knows how to report hard news and how to tell a great story and we look forward to helping her grow as a journalist.”