After 19 years of helping to guide WTVG-TV, Channel 13, from near bankruptcy to neck-and-neck competition in the local news ratings, David Zamichow is stepping down as the station's president and general manager.
WTVG, an ABC-Walt Disney-owned-and-operated affiliate, is in the process of being sold to SJL Broadcasting, Inc., which originally sold the station to Disney and hired Zamichow. The transaction is expected to be completed April 1.
Zamichow said Friday the sale meant it was the right time for him to leave the station and get out of the TV business.
"I've done two startups, first with SJL and then ABC-Disney, and the idea of doing it again just seemed like something I'd already done," he said. "I also thought it was an opportunity for a new pair of eyes to see what was going on at the station and have new suggestions about things that maybe I'd been missing."
Earlier this week SJL announced its replacement WTVG general manager, John Christianson, who has been the general manager of SJL's WSEE (CBS affiliate), WBEP (The CW Network), and One Caribbean Television in Erie, Penn., since 2007. Prior to being promoted to general manager, Christianson spent 10 years as WSEE's news director and started his career in television at WQAD (ABC affiliate), in Moline, Ill., in 1991.
"I am excited to have the opportunity to work with such a talented and successful team at WTVG," Christianson said in a statement. "It will be my goal to continue to grow WTVG's news product and programming for the Toledo market, a tradition that WTVG has done consistently for decades. I also am looking forward to getting involved in the community and the Toledo nonprofit community as a volunteer."
After running a TV station in New Hampshire, just outside of Boston, Zamichow signed a five-year contract in 1991 to run WTVG, but after three years SJL sold the station to ABC-Disney, thereby voiding his agreement.
"ABC-Disney said let's just work together for a year on a handshake and see how it works out. I've been doing it ever since, so it obviously worked out," Zamichow said.
During his tenure, WTVG came back from the brink of financial ruin and most recently challenged the market's dominant news station, WTOL-TV, Channel 11, at the top of the ratings.
But what Zamichow is most proud of is the quality of personnel in WTVG's news department, many of whom have moved on to bigger markets, none bigger than former sports anchor Rob Powers, who left and found success as a sports anchor in New York City. Zamichow credits former and current employees for WTVG's success, as well as his family: wife Lyn; sons Bert and Zach, and daughter Jessie.
As for what's next, Zamichow said it's anything but the "r-word."
"I'm not using the word ‘retirement,' I'm using the word ‘break,' " he said. "I'm not the kind of person who will retire. I'm looking for something to do, maybe buy a business or invest in a business. I will have to see where that takes me. But the first thing I'm going to do is depressurize and take it easy for a couple of weeks."
Contact Kirk Baird at: kbaird@theblade.com or 419-724-6734.
First Published March 19, 2011, 4:30 a.m.
