Heather Walker has joined WOOD, the Grand Rapids NBC affiliate, as a reporter.

“WOOD-TV has such a great reputation around the country for its investigative work,” said Walker. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the team and to start telling West Michigan’s stories that matter.”

Walker comes to WOOD from CBS affiliate KIMA in Yakima, WA where she was an investigative reporter and anchor.

According to MLive.com, Walker is expected to make her debut on the WOOD news at 10 and 11 p.m. sometime next week.

Casey Jones has joined WOOD, the NBC-affiliate in Grand Rapids, as the weekend sports anchor.

Jones, a Grand Rapids native, joins WOOD after a year as a multimedia journalist at WSJV, the Fox-affiliate in South Bend. Prior to that, he was a part-time member of the WOOD sports department.

“When you grow up watching a station and get into the business because of the people who represent that station, it’s really surreal to think that you’re now a part of that pedigree,” Jones said. “I’ve always imagined myself at WOOD TV and it’s a dream come true to be back home.”

After almost 15 years at WOOD, sports anchor Jason Terzis is leaving the Grand Rapids NBC-affiliate.

Terzis told mlive.com he wants to spend more time with his children, who are starting school in September. His family is moving to Charlotte at the end of the summer.

“It has nothing to do with my job and the people at TV8, but it has everything to do with my family and my schedule,” he said. “What I’ve been doing is my dream job. What’s really led to this decision, though, is I’ve worked every weekend for the past 20 years.” Read more

Starting Monday, Grand Rapids NBC-affiliate WOOD will start the morning newscast at 4:30 a.m.

“We’re responding to changes in viewers’ habits being seen all over the country,” news director Rebecca Sapakie said in a statement. “Our entire team will be here ready to go at 4:30 a.m.”

WOOD’s normal morning team — anchors Emily Linnert and Brett Thomas (pictured) and meteorologist Terri DeBoer — will helm the extra half-hour.

WOOD, an NBC-affiliate serving Southwestern Michigan, began broadcasting its newscasts in high definition over the weekend, starting with Saturday’s 6 p.m. newscast.

“What we do for our viewers isn’t changing,” WOOD news director Rebecca Sapakie said, in announcing the station’s HD launch. “24 Hour News 8 will continue to lead the way in breaking news, investigative reporting and severe weather coverage. Only now it will be in high definition.”

WOOD is the third station in the Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo market to go HD, following Fox-affiliate WXMI and CBS-affiliate WWMT.

After nearly six weeks, Mediacom customers have access to nine LIN Media-owned stations that have been dark while the two parties negotiate their retransmission agreement.

The stations were restored late Friday night after a deal was struck. Mediacom and LIN Media have been in ongoing negotiations since August 31, but terms of the final deal were not disclosed.

The stations affected were WALA-WFNA in Mobile, WOOD-WOTV in Grand Rapids, WANE in Fort Wayne, WLUK in Green Bay, WTHI in Terre Haute and WLFI in Layfayette, IN, and  WAVY and WVBT, both in in Norfolk, VA.

Marlee Ginter, who recently left her post as weekend morning anchor at KOMO, is set to debut as co-anchor of WOOD‘s weekday 10 p.m. newscast, alongside Brian Sterling.

According to the Grand Rapids Press, Ginter began reporting for WOOD’s 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts this week and will be at the 10 p.m. anchor desk beginning on Monday.

Before her time with KOMO, Ginter worked as a reporter for WSPA in Spartanburg, SC, where she was named “Reporter of the Year” by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association for her investigative reporting.

“Marlee’s experience with breaking news and investigative reporting is a perfect fit for 24 Hour News 8,” WOOD news director Rebecca Sapakie said. “I know her experience will only serve to benefit our viewers and this community.”

Tomorrow marks one month since LIN-owned stations in seven markets went dark for Mediacom subscribers, and the stalemate is showing no signs of progress.

A uniform statement on the LIN-owned stations’ sites says negotiations are ongoing. “Unfortunately, we do not know if, or when, we will reach an agreement,” the statement, which has not been changed all month, reads. “In the meantime, we hope you will continue supporting local television and watch us through alternative means.”

According to Broadcasting & Cable, Mediacom sent a letter to the FCC this week, asking their help in preventing blackouts during retransmission disputes. The FCC has previously claimed they have no authority regarding the issue. Read more

As of 5 p.m.ET yesterday night, LIN Media-owned stations went dark for customers who have Mediacom Cable service, as the two parties failed to renegotiate a retransmission agreement.

“Without fair and equitable treatment, local TV stations will not be able to continue to provide top quality news, sports, entertainment, and other local programming that is most important to you,” a statement on the LIN Media website reads.

The stations affected are WALA-WFNA in Mobile, WOOD-WOTV in Grand Rapids, WANE in Fort Wayne, WLUK in Green Bay, WTHI in Terre Haute and WLFI in Layfayette, IN. LIN-owned stations WAVY and WVBT — both in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia — will remain on the air for another week, the result of a contract extension granted to Mediacom so affected viewers can still receive local news coverage of Hurricane Irene’s aftermath.  Read more

It was the deadliest shooting rampage ever to occur in Western Michigan. The havoc caused by Rodrick Dantzler on Thursday in Grand Rapids was so widespread that reporters had to specify that they were reporting live at just one of multiple crime scenes.

On Thursday afternoon, Dantzler, who has been described as having bipolar disorder, entered the homes of two former girlfriends, killing them both as well as others present in the houses at the time, including his own 12-year-old daughter. In all, Dantzler killed seven people in the span of a couple of hours and then led police on a car chase through Grand Rapids, eventually holing himself up in a house and taking three hostages.

WWMT, WXMI, WOOD, and WZZM all preempted their regularly scheduled programming on Thursday evening to bring live coverage of Dantzler’s rampage, which ended around 11:30 p.m. when the suspect shot himself.

Here’s a station-by-station breakdown of the local TV coverage… Read more