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Robbie Timmons is an American TV news anchor/reporter for Detroit television stations WJBK-TV and WXYZ-TV. She was the first female news anchor in American history to anchor the 6:00pm and 11:00pm broadcasts in March 1973 while anchoring the news at WILX-TV in Lansing, Michigan. After 4 years at WILX-TV in Lansing, she was offered a job working as a reporter and 11pm news anchor for WJBK-TV (CBS) in Detroit, where she worked for 6 years. In 1982 Timmons accepted a news anchor position for WXYZ-TV, the ABC affiliate in Detroit where she received numerous honors including Emmy Awards and the distinction of being named one of the most powerful women in Michigan. Robbie Timmons retired in October 2010 and is currently an officer of a non-profit Thoroughbred retraining organization, CANTER.
Timmons was born in Columbus, Ohio, attended Ohio State University, studying Business Administration. She had a passion for television journalism and reporting. She wrote and produced TV commercials. In 1972 she interviewed for a TV News reporter/anchor position at WILX-TV in Lansing. Two weeks later she was on television as a reporter. [1]
While working at WILX-TV as a news anchor/reporter she worked with Sportscaster Jim Brandstatter, whom she later married. In 1976 WILX sent Timmons to Washington D.C. to cover President Gerald Ford's address to television news directors at the White House. Timmons was experienced in setting up and operating video cameras and after videotaping the president's address, she hoped to get an interview with him. She took advantage of an opportunity to grab Ford's attention by saying "Go Blue", as he approached. She knew that President Ford had played football at the University of Michigan, and was an avid alumnus. The president smiled, and gave Timmons an exclusive interview. The TV news director for CBS affiliate in Detroit saw Robbie get the exclusive interview and was so impressed he scheduled an interview with Timmons. Three weeks later she was the anchor for WJBK-TV for the 11:00pm news. [2]
As Timmons career as a news anchor in Detroit took off, Jim Brandstatter began working in the Sports Department of WDIV-TV in Detroit. They were married in 1980.
Timmons has six Emmy awards for reporting and anchoring, two Silver Circle awards, and in 2013 was enshrined in the Michigan Association of Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. [3]
In 1998 Timmons began volunteering for CANTER, a non-profit all volunteer organization that retrains non-competitive thoroughbred race horses for new careers as sport horses or trail horses. She began volunteering full-time as Treasurer and currently Executive Director of CANTER after her retirement from television in 2010. Timmons wrote a popular book based on one of the thoroughbreds helped by CANTER, titled "Twoey and the Goat", in 2008. [4]
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, United States. The station serves as the flagship broadcast property of the Chicago-based Graham Media Group subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. WDIV-TV maintains studio facilities on West Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit. As such, it is the only major television station in the market with offices and studios within the Detroit city limits, while the market's other television stations are based in Southfield.
WJBK, virtual channel 2, is a Fox owned-and-operated television station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, United States. The station is owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Corporation. WJBK's studios and transmitter are located on West 9 Mile Road in the Detroit suburb of Southfield.
WXYZ-TV, virtual channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, United States. Owned by the Cincinnati–based E. W. Scripps Company, it is part of a duopoly with independent station WMYD. Both stations share studios at Broadcast House on 10 Mile Road in Southfield, where WXYZ-TV's transmitter is also located.
WEYI-TV, virtual channel 25, branded on-air as NBC 25, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Saginaw, Michigan, United States and serving the Flint/Tri-Cities television market. Owned by Howard Stirk Holdings, it is operated under a shared services agreement (SSA) by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, making it a sister station to Flint-licensed Fox affiliate WSMH ; Sinclair also operates Bay City-licensed CW affiliate WBSF under a separate SSA with owner Cunningham Broadcasting. However, Sinclair effectively owns WBSF as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The three stations share studios on West Pierson Road in Mount Morris Township ; WEYI-TV's transmitter is located at its former studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township along the Genesee–Saginaw county line.
WKBD-TV, virtual channel 50, is a CW owned-and-operated television station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, United States, and also serving Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Owned by the CBS News and Stations subsidiary of Paramount Global, it is part of a duopoly with CBS owned-and-operated station WWJ-TV. Both stations share studios on Eleven Mile Road in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, where WKBD-TV's transmitter is also located.
WMYD, virtual channel 20, is an independent television station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, United States. Owned by the Cincinnati-based E. W. Scripps Company, it is part of a duopoly with ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV. Both stations share studios at Broadcast House on 10 Mile Road in Southfield, while WMYD's transmitter is located on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park.
WJRT-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 12, is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Flint, Michigan, United States, and serving the Flint/Tri-Cities television market. The station is owned by the Allen Media Broadcasting subsidiary of Los Angeles–based Entertainment Studios. WJRT-TV's studios are located on Lapeer Road in Flint, with offices and a second newsroom for the Tri-Cities in Saginaw. The station's transmitter is located on Burt Road in Albee Township, Michigan.
WTVG, virtual and VHF digital channel 13, is a dual ABC/CW-affiliated television station licensed to Toledo, Ohio, United States, serving northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. The station is owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television. WTVG's studios are located on Dorr Street in Toledo, and its transmitter is located on Stadium Road in Oregon, Ohio.
WLNS-TV, virtual channel 6, is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Lansing, Michigan, United States, and serving the Central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The station is owned by Irving, Texas–based Nexstar Media Group, which also operates dual ABC/CW+ affiliate WLAJ under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with owner Mission Broadcasting. Both stations share studios on East Saginaw Street in Lansing's Eastside section, and transmitter facilities on Van Atta Road in Okemos, Michigan.
WILX-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 10, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Onondaga, Michigan, United States, serving Lansing and the Central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The station is owned by Gray Television. WILX-TV's studios are located on American Road in Lansing, and its transmitter is located in Onondaga. On cable, the station is available on Comcast Xfinity channel 4 in Lansing, on Xfinity channel 10 in East Lansing and Jackson and on Charter Spectrum channel 13 in Durand.
WLAJ, virtual channel 53, is a dual ABC/CW+-affiliated television station licensed to Lansing, Michigan, United States and serving the Central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Owned by Mission Broadcasting, it is operated under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) by Nexstar Media Group, making it a sister station to CBS affiliate WLNS-TV. The two stations share studios on East Saginaw Street/BL I-69/M-43 in Lansing's Eastside section, and transmitter facilities on Van Atta Road in Okemos, Michigan. There is no separate website for WLAJ; instead, it is integrated with that of sister station WLNS-TV.
WSYM-TV, virtual channel 47, is a dual Fox/MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station licensed to Lansing, Michigan, United States and serving the Central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The station is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. WSYM-TV's studios are located on West Saint Joseph Street in downtown Lansing, and its transmitter is located in Hamlin Township along M-50/M-99/South Clinton Trail. The station is usually carried on channel 7 on most cable systems in the market.
WXYT is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, broadcasting a sports gambling format. The station serves the Detroit-Windsor market and the Southeastern Michigan and Southwestern Ontario areas. Its transmitter is in Monroe County at Ash Township and operations and studios are at Entercom's facilities in Southfield, Michigan. WXYT is a 50,000–watt, Class B station broadcasting on a regional frequency. It is not a clear-channel station because of its frequency and highly directional antenna.
Bill Bonds was an American television news anchor and reporter, best known for his work at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan. Bonds became an Action News anchorman beginning in the early 1970s.
Bally Sports Detroit (BSD) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group that operates as a Bally Sports affiliate. It provides coverage of local sports teams in the state of Michigan, primarily focusing on those in Metro Detroit. The network airs exclusive broadcasts of games involving the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Pistons, and Detroit Red Wings; repeats of Detroit Lions preseason games; and some state college and high school sports.
Ryan Field is an American sportscaster who is currently a Sports Anchor on WABC-TV's Eyewitness News Weeknight and Saturday Morning Newscasts. He is a native of Troy, Michigan, and a graduate of Michigan State University.
As the world's traditional automotive center, Detroit, Michigan, is an important source for business news. The Detroit media are active in the community through such efforts as the Detroit Free Press high school journalism program and the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit. Wayne State University offers a widely respected journalism program.
James Patrick Brandstatter is an American sports announcer. He is the radio play-by-play announcer for the Michigan Wolverines football team. He held the position of color commentator for the Detroit Lions for 31 years until the end of the 2017 season. Brandstatter is also a sports television show host and former radio show host; both TV and radio shows about Michigan football. He played college football for the Wolverines, from 1969 to 1972, where he was a standout offensive tackle. Brandstatter has written two non-fiction books about UM experiences, both of which were best-sellers in the sports category. His other positions include the two-time president of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. Brandstatter leaving the Detroit Lions radio broadcast was announced on July 10, 2018.
Jerry Hodak is the former Chief Meteorologist on ABC's Detroit, Michigan affiliate, WXYZ-TV.
Richard Fisher, best known as Rich Fisher, was an American television presenter, radio broadcaster, a news anchor and an investigative reporter. He won the National Award from the American Bar Association in 1986, according to WJBK-TV. In 1993, won the Michigan Associated Press Award. He won an Emmy for broadcasting.