Sam Rosenwasser is leaving Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS on December 15.
The WEWS GM told TVSpy he was not sure what his next step would be.
“It’s just the right time,” Rosenwasser told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “I’ve gone through an unbelievable health situation, as you know. I’ve been in and out of the office so much over the past few years. I don’t think it’s healthy for the station, and I need to step away and really get my life back in order.”
Rosenwasser’s health crisis began when his intestines were punctured during surgery for hip replacement.
“That led to peritonitis and a three-month stay in the hospital,” he said. “I was unconscious for several weeks, and there were 11 operations in 18 months. And it was a heavy-duty rehab. I had to learn how to walk and talk again. It has been a lot. This is an extremely competitive business, and you have to be running at 100 percent.”
Before moving to Northeast Ohio, Rosenwasser was president and general manager of WTSP Channel 10, the Gannett-owned CBS affiliate in the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida, market. He was at helm of WTSP for seven years, accepting an early retirement package in late 2008.
His love of the business lured him back to local television.
“I just couldn’t stay away,” Rosenwasser said. “I’m not sure now that I’ll stay away. I just need a break to see where I am and what I want to do.”