In June, CBS Detroit fired weekend meteorologist April Moss for public criticism of parent company ViacomCBS on the air and online. He's the second weather forecaster to depart a Detroit station in recent months. broadcast, but was only done later because of Olympics programming.īailey, a University of Missouri graduate, worked at Fox 2 before coming to WDIV in 2014 to replace the beloved Chuck Gaidica, who retired. Drutz sent an email to staff announcing his departure just hours before Bailey's announcement.ĭrutz said his announcement would have normally come during the 11 p.m. Usually a big announcement and farewell is made on the air and at a time when more viewers will see it - not at 1 a.m. He went on to say: 'My brother asked me, he said 'what's next for you?' And I told him, 'less makeup and more whiskey.''Ĭompared to other popular on-air talent at WDIV, Bailey's departure was low-key. on a Saturday morning from my house, I would have said 'crazy.' Covid's been crazy, so it almost seems like it's been appropriate.' 'Tonight is my last broadcast here on Local 4, and if you told me 30 years ago when I took my first job in this business that I would be ending my career at 1 a.m. Saturday during a late broadcast after the Olympics, but did not say why he was leaving his job, which paid a six-figure salary. He did a meritorious job.'Īttempts to reach Bailey Saturday for comment were unsuccessful.īailey announced his resignation around 1 a.m. 'I just think he was looking for a different opportunity. 'Ben’s been thinking about this for a while,' Drutz said. Marla Drutz, the station's general manager, said she was unaware of Bailey's vaccination status and that his departure isn't 'related per se to any kind of masking rules.' She said he worked mostly at the downtown Detroit station, instead of at home, the past six months, though his final broadcast was from home. Sources familiar with Bailey's work situation said he had differences with the NBC affiliate's workplace Covid policy, which requires the unvaccinated to wear masks. He did not provide a reason, and the station said the split was amicable. 'I've been talking to management for a while and we decided as the Olympics came to a close this would probably be a good time for me to say so long.' 'This really hasn't been a spur-of-the-moment decision for me,' he told viewers. But since joining Fox 2, I have really enjoyed sharing my knowledge and experiences with young students who are interested in weather.WDIV's lead meteorologist Ben Bailey, who has been at the station for seven years, announced early Saturday morning that he's leaving immediately. We spend a lot of time in our backyard and often fire up the barbecue. We especially like camping with our pop-up camper. My wife and I, along with our twin daughters, love Southeast Michigan, where we enjoy all the great things there are to do. In 1997, I left central New York to make Detroit my home as the weekend meteorologist here at Fox 2. I obtained the American Meteorological Society [[AMS) Seal of Approval in 1994. When I left the Air Force, I took a job at WKTV in Utica, New York, where I was chief meteorologist for four years. While I was in the service, I earned a master's degree in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. For six months in 1991, I was a weather detachment commander in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm. I was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, from 1989 to 1993. Air Force ROTC and served four-and-a-half years on active duty as a weather officer. I was commissioned a second lieutenant through the U.S. I'm originally from Pittsburgh and graduated in 1988 from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology. You can see me during the 5, 6, 10, and 11 p.m. [[WJBK) -My mom and my wife, Deanne, call me Richard, but everyone else calls me Rich. Follow Rich Luterman on Twitter: Mich.

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