WDIV Veteran Roger Weber Calling It Quits After Nearly Four Decades

May 27, 2015, 3:41 PM by  Allan Lengel

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Roger Weber

WDIV's Roger Weber, an amiable man who was a fixture at the station for 37 years, who covered some of the biggest stories of our times in Detroit, is retiring.

His last day will be June 26. 

On his Facebook page, Weber posted this:

After nearly 37 years at WDIV, I'm moving on. I'll put down the microphone and pick up my seven iron, fly rod, and tennis racket. I'll miss the good people of Local 4 and the chance to share stories with our loyal viewers. But I have no doubt that I'm making the right decision. I'll savor my first leisurely summer in 42 years before tackling some part-time work. I'm excited about new challenges and new adventures. Above all, I'm looking forward to spending more time with my best friend, my beautiful wife Corinna. My last day is June 26th. I'll keep you all posted as I head down the home stretch. - Roger Weber

Fox 2's M.L. Elrick, who previously worked at WDIV, said on Facebook:

I just got some terrible news for Detroit, Michigan and WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit, but great news for FOX 2 Detroit and WXYZ-TV Channel 7: My friend and former colleague Roger Weber is retiring after 37 years (which doesn't make sense, because I think he's only 35 years old...).

Reporters are very competitive and, frankly, can be very petty. To paraphrase Kwame M. Kilpatrick, we can be like crabs trying to pull down whoever seems closer to the top of the barrel. But I defy you to find one reporter in this town who has even a minor beef with Roger Weber. He is not only the finest storyteller I've ever worked with, he is one of the most generous, most considerate, most gracious gentlemen you will ever meet.

Paula Bridges of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department writes on Facebook:

Roger Weber you are a class act and tops in the news business. You will be missed, but you earned it and then some. Best wishes.

His bio on the station's website says that Weber has worn several hats since joining WDIV in 1978. He was a morning news anchor and Lansing bureau chief, but "Roger’s primary job as general assignment reporter has put him in the middle of Detroit's biggest stories. His major assignments have included the 1980 Republican Convention, the crash of Flight 255 and the bankruptcies of GM, Chrysler, and the City of Detroit. Roger has covered several high profile trials of defendants like Jack Kevorkian, Nathaniel Abraham, Stephen Grant, Sandra Lane and Sam Riddle."

In his bio, he writes about his most embarrassing moment on the job.

"It happened while I was covering a preliminary event for the Detroit Grand Prix. I was riding in the back of a pickup truck to get moving shots of three dozen in-line skaters. We were in front of them as they raced around the track. I told the driver to pull farther ahead after the first lap, and drop me off so we could shoot from some other angles.

"All went according to plan until he stopped and I started climbing out. He gunned the accelerator too soon, flipping me backwards onto the pavement. To make matters worse, the skaters were bearing down on me fast. I scrambled out of the way just in time, with no serious injuries other than a bruised ego."



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