Although Bill Shory has declined to go on the record about his departure from WBIR, current and former staffers of the Knoxville NBC-affiliate are speaking out on his behalf.

In a recent blog post, Katie Granju, a former online producer at WBIR, compiled statements from a handful of people who worked closely with Shory during his tenure as the station’s news director.

“In his eight years as news director, Bill led the newsroom through great ratings successes, sweeping industry changes, heartfelt community tributes and tough investigative projects,” Granju wrote.  “Through it all, he was a wonderful boss.”

The celebratory comments of Granju and her WBIR colleagues work to counteract reports that Shory had “created a hostile work environment” at the station.

WBIR morning anchor Abby Ham writes that Shory “truly cared about his employees,” while marquee anchor John Becker calls him a “hard charger and a hell of a newsman.”

Full post here