Steve Wilson Leaving WXYZ Channel 7

**sumas** · February-26-10, 05:12 AM

The more I thought about it, the madder I got, so I thought I would post the letter I am sending the station. Not my best effort but I think I covered all points.

February 26, 2010

Dear Channel 7 Corporate Officials,

I am extremely dismayed at your cancellation of Mr. Wilsonâ€™s contract. The news has become mostly fluff and stuff with giggling anchors and stupid banter.

Mr. Wilson is an investigator and reporter of the highest integrity. His loss to this viewing community cannot be measured.

Iâ€™ll be switching to other airtime news mediums shortly but only after I note your corporate sponsors and write to them at my dismay.

You cheapen the name news.

Sincerely,

**RealityCheck** · February-26-10, 07:17 AM

Classy move, Steve, to break the news here . . . where it was picked up within a half-hour by another hard-working Detroit journalist who knows how to mine grass-roots info.

. . . announced tonight on DetroitYes.com that his contract wasn't renewed . . .

". . . let me say candidly this decision is not my own," Wilson wrote on the popular metro Detroit online forum, where he's a regular poster.

That's from a post by Crain's Detroit Business reporter Bill Shea, also a DY regular.

Popular is a popular word for this town e-square. ". . . Wilson also posted the news on DetroitYes.com, a popular local Web forum." -- Detroit News today, which needed two reporters to chase Shea's newsbreak

Mista Alan · February-26-10, 07:54 AM

A call to WXYZ-TV tells me that the president of the company that owns Channel 7 is Brian Lawlor. I for one plan on sending him an email:

Brian.Lawlor@scripps.com

**Searay215** · February-26-10, 09:25 AM

Sorry to here this Steve....always loved the way you went after people and never gave up....Good Luck and God Bless

**unclefrank** · February-26-10, 10:08 AM

Know what your going through bro. I just lost my job with EDS/HP after 13 years. The cuts are being made by Corporate weasels far away from the community.

**sumas** · February-26-10, 10:12 AM

Thanks Mista, Now my letter can go directly to the head bozo. This is why I love this board. Informed people sharing info.

**rb336** · February-26-10, 10:27 AM

Steve, you are one of the last great investigative journalists out there. Your leaving 7 is a loss to our community. guess they will fill the air with more "isn't that a cute puppy?" stories. a shame, a sham.

**unclefrank** · February-26-10, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

Steve, you are one of the last great investigative journalists out there. Your leaving 7 is a loss to our community. guess they will fill the air with more "isn't that a cute puppy?" stories. a shame, a sham.

I hear that! The local news stations are a joke

**bdglsmn** · February-26-10, 10:43 AM

Good luck on your new venture Steve. You are needed here so don't give up.

**RealityCheck** · February-26-10, 11:03 AM

Smart, sobering perspective is blogged today by Matt Friedman, a local strategic communications strategist and past WDIV news producer:

This is another example of how media companies are trying to cut their way to the future. Take a look at the ratings most nights and you’ll realize it’s not working. Why stay up to watch an 11 p.m. newscast now? You can get the weather forecast and sports scores on your phone, anytime. You can get news headlines online. Without original, enterprise local reporting, how can TV news make any compelling case to attract an audience?

Buy American · February-26-10, 11:17 AM

We sure don't want to see you go Steve...you broke many important stories here in the Detroit area. I think the station is crazy to let you go and still keep some of the "talking heads" that are doing traffic reports and weather. I will certainly let the station know what I think. Good luck to you.

Retroit · February-26-10, 11:26 AM

Who's next...M.L. Elrick? What are these news companies thinking? Investigative reporting is their "meat and potatoes". I guess there must not be any more corruption in this city to report about.

D.U.M.B.

**Ray1936** · February-26-10, 01:13 PM

Well, the local stations here in Las Vegas seem to be 50% full of fluff, also. Ain't a day goes by but what they don't air something about a dog shelter or a wild horse roundup or some such. And if a quarter inch of rain is in the forecast, they blow it up so you think Noah is putting lumber together again.

Good luck, Steve. Your kind is all that makes TV news worth much any more.

**sumas** · February-26-10, 02:29 PM

I know what you mean Ray, We get two inches of snow and its reported as a disaster. This is Michigan so I expect we realize we get snow in winter. Just would like some hard news.

**punky1** · February-26-10, 02:35 PM

While Steve has not said anything, I do wonder if there were constraints at the station that kept him from reporting as he may have preferred. Could be there was no support from managment, roadblocks thrown up at every turn, subtle or blatant. Just speculating. I think a fine place to relocate is somewhere like next door to the station, with one big bad *ss sign they would have to look at coming and going every single day. Maybe with a lighted sign like "Kramer" had from the chicken shop across the street from his apt. on Seinfeld.

**stromberg2** · February-26-10, 02:42 PM

Good luck Steve in your future ventures. I hope that your idea for the center works out. I am terribly shocked that scripps would do this. Journalism is not the same anymore.

Stromberg2

**preserve** · February-26-10, 03:40 PM

Nobody wants "news" anymore. Not even WWJ who proclaim to be "news radio" everything is fluff. We get formula radio if we have a regular am-fm radio, there are no more personalities. And to be honest - I don't think anyone has the attention span anymore to recognize familiar names and voices, so, at least Mr. Wilson has a plan and can continue his work. Good luck.

**buildingsofdetroit** · February-26-10, 03:55 PM

Another Detroit watchdog silenced.

**Gistok** · February-26-10, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by rotation_slim

and fully acknowledging Steve's great work in the PAST, but has Steve broken any significant stories in the last 2 years? I am not talking about follow up stories, but breaking a huge story? I just can't think of any.

Again, I give full props for his early reporting on Kwame, Detroit Schools, and others, but he seems to be in a dry spell. His boss was in the freep saying this was not a perfomance issue, but I am not so sure.

I know steve is a darling on this board, as he comes to our sandbox and plays, but is he really the big player in town anymore?

Usually first time posters are welcome on this forum... but when they come out and post for the first time sounding like a Shill for WXYZ.... I'm not so sure....

**Meddle** · February-26-10, 04:08 PM

I don't know what the local stations are like up there any more. It used to be a toss up between 2, 4 and 7 as to who would get the best story first.

Out here in the sticks, one of our main stations is more focused on Facebook and their own website that they are towards on-air news. They do a quick blurb and then say, 'for more info, go to our website .... '. I'm used to the full story being broadcast.

Headline News now runs about 10 minutes of opinion polls and reading Facebook replies in place of NEWS. They used to be the place to get real news any time of the day or night. Now they're only on the air a few short hours during the day. Then they go off the air and switch on a bunch of useless gab shows.

I don't know of any serious investigative reports any more. I believe the stations are afraid of offending businesses that are advertisers.

**trotwood** · February-26-10, 04:26 PM

I'm so sorry to hear you're leaving WXYZ. I thank you for the courageous investigative reporting you've done over the years. IMO,you've shown tremendous fortitude&dignity in your reports that have exposed blatent corruption&greed by those who felt they were above the law and beyond the reach of authority. I thank you for standing tall for MetroDetroit.
Best of luck to you Steve! We'll miss you!

**Steve Wilson** · February-26-10, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by rotation_slim

and fully acknowledging Steve's great work in the PAST, but has Steve broken any significant stories in the last 2 years? I am not talking about follow up stories, but breaking a huge story? I just can't think of any.

Again, I give full props for his early reporting on Kwame, Detroit Schools, and others, but he seems to be in a dry spell. His boss was in the freep saying this was not a perfomance issue, but I am not so sure.

I know steve is a darling on this board, as he comes to our sandbox and plays, but is he really the big player in town anymore?

Well, well...why am I not surprised there's a disgruntled colleague in the [[broadcast) house who wants to take a snipe or two on my way out the door? Let's just leave it at this: Nobody knows Jack like I know Jack.

**Just Amazed** · February-26-10, 06:36 PM

Heard Steve on WRIF this morning, [[wish it was on the web site to hear again) and I would have to say he is really going to be missed. Just hope the new projects take off and Steve is still around town as much as possible. You have a great following. Thanks for all you have done so far.

**agirlintheD** · February-26-10, 06:39 PM

Wow. Steve, I can't begin to tell you how much you will be missed in "these parts". What the hell could WXYZ possibly be thinking [[there's the operative word...THINKING). They're willing to part ways with you, but keep on those jabbering fools who can't deliver the news without their maddening giggles and annoying side banter. I find the whole story, at best, sickening. You have a tenacity that some of us wish we possessed. You weren't afraid of being on the front lines. I admire what you did for us, for the City of Detroit. You became our voice. You went to bat for us. You were pushed around [[sometimes quite literally). But, in the end, you gave us what we wanted, a damn good story [[without the fluff). Steve, you have done Detroit proud. The hell with WXYZ. They will not be left holding the winning hand without you. All the best to you whereever your path leads [[hopefully it will remain with roots in Detroit) and kudos to you. Thank you Steve. Thank you very much!

**agirlintheD** · February-26-10, 06:46 PM

One more thing, Steve, when you were given this "news" you could've used a line from Christine Beatty's playbook, "Do you know who the %$#^%%^ I am?"....naaa, you have too much class to stoop to that level.