Jim Bleicher, who led WJRT‘s newsroom for over two decades, has departed his news director post amid an ownership change at the Flint ABC-affiliate.
According to sources, Bleicher’s final day with WJRT was last Friday–the same day that SJL Broadcasting took over ownership of the station. Last week the company, which agreed to buy WJRT from ABC in November, announced that general manager Tom Bryson was leaving the station. Bryson was replaced by Peter Veto, who has a longstanding relationship with SJL.
Jayne Hodak, who served as assistant news director under Bleicher, has been appointed acting news director as Veto considers Bleicher’s successor.
Bleicher made an indelible mark on WJRT during his long tenure with the station. Celebrating his recent induction into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the station said that Bleicher had “hired almost everyone you see each and every day on ABC12.”