Lee Van Ameyde

Van Ameyde, who has worked at the Grand Rapids ABC affiliate for 36 years, is transitioning to a new role as the head of the station’s investigative team. He will continue to anchor the 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts but will no longer anchor at 11 p.m.

“You won’t see Lee on the WZZM 13 News at 11 p.m., but you will see Lee and his Watchdog team out in the community – demanding answers from our politicians, watching out for your best interests and making sure that your voice is heard,” news director Stanton Tang told Mlive.com.

Juliet Dragos will continue to anchor the 11 p.m. newscast. No co-anchor has been named.

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“It’s been a remarkable ride, but it’s time for me to shift gears,” Conway said. “It’s an exciting time for me, but I’m going to miss the people who have been kind enough to invite me into their homes every night. They’ve really watched me grow up on the air here at 7 over the past thirty years.” continued…

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Solano comes to Detroit from KIAH, the CW-affiliate in Houston.  Before KIAH, Solano spent three years working as the weekend sports anchor at WZZM in Grand Rapids.

“Fans in Detroit really know their sports,” Solano said. “I love storytelling, so being able to share the stories of pro, college and high school athletes with so many knowledgeable fans is really exciting. I have so much respect for WXYZ, and I’m honored to be a part of a station with so much tradition.” continued…

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Last night, the station invited three on-air personalities from the 70s — anchor Barry Shanley, sportscaster Sam Hooks and weathercaster Craig James –  back to the anchor desk for the 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscast, which is still anchored by Lee Van Ameyde.

“I haven’t made a mistake here in 26 years,” Shanley joked. Watch Hooks’ sportscast and James’ forecast after the jump… continued…

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The Orlando-based cable news channel announced today that Geraghty will join its staff on March 19th.

“We are extremely pleased to have someone of Tim’s caliber joining News 13. We have a great newsroom and we expect it will become even greater under his leadership,” News 13 vice president and general manager Robin Smythe said, announcing the hiring. “Tim has a strong understanding of local news and has a track record of paying quality attention to his viewers and delivering them a relevant product.” continued…

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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… continued…

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“I am thrilled about the opportunity to move closer to my family in the Detroit area,” Vogel said, “but sad to leave so many friends and great people that I’ve gotten to know during my time here in Grand Rapids.”

Vogel currently appears on WZZM’s morning newscast alongside anchors Derek Francis and Lauren Stanton. Her last day with the station is set for May 31st.

“Hally has been an integral part of our morning team and weather team,” said WZZM president and general manager Janet Mason. “We will really miss her and wish her much success in Detroit.”

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Suzanne Geha made her first public appearance this morning since departing WOOD last month after 30+ years with the Grand Rapids NBC-affiliate.

Geha received a standing ovation from the crowd as she took the stage to introduce her friend, and former rival, Anne Doyle at an event for the women’s professional organization Inforum.

No WOOD personnel appeared to be in attendance, according to The Grand Rapids Press, but there were a few staffers from WZZM, which ran a newspaper ad recently honoring Geha’s legacy. (WZZM’s coverage of Geha’s appearance above).

“This is not the end. There are many more chapters for Suzanne Geha,” Doyle told WZZM.

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Doyle, 62, told the The Grand Rapids Press recently that WOOD showed a total lack of respect for a journalism pioneer. Doyle and Geha rose through the ranks of their respective stations in the early 70s, eventually landing at the anchor desk during a time when men still held most of the stations’ on-air positions.

Doyle went on to join Detroit’s WJBK, becoming one of the country’s first female sports anchors.

“I think women are lulled into this perception that everything is fine,” Doyle told the Press. “Everything is not fine. It’s time for women to power up.”

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Earlier this month, Geha was unceremoniously let go by NBC-affiliate WOOD and now crosstown rival WZZM, an ABC-affiliate, is celebrating Geha’s career with kind words and an ad in last Sunday’s Grand Rapids Press.

“Thank You, Suzanne, for over 30 years…” reads the ad (right), “You’ve made us all better!”

“I think she’s made WZZM 13 better, because competition always makes a business better, and she’s been an aggressive competitor over the years,” WZZM general manager Janet Mason told the Press on Monday. continued…

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