Rival Station Takes Out Newspaper Ad to Honor Dismissed WOOD Anchor Suzanne Geha

By Andrew Gauthier 

A Grand Rapids station is honoring veteran anchor Suzanne Geha for her 30+ years on local TV, although its not the station that Geha once worked for.

Earlier this month, Geha was unceremoniously let go by NBC-affiliate WOOD and now crosstown rival WZZM, an ABC-affiliate, is celebrating Geha’s career with kind words and an ad in last Sunday’s Grand Rapids Press.

“Thank You, Suzanne, for over 30 years…” reads the ad (right), “You’ve made us all better!”

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“I think she’s made WZZM 13 better, because competition always makes a business better, and she’s been an aggressive competitor over the years,” WZZM general manager Janet Mason told the Press on Monday.

Geha, who has been eagerly interacting with longtime viewers on Facebook following her dismissal, posted the this message in response to WZZM’s ad:

I want to thank my long-time competitor, WZZM-13, and its staff, many of whom I call friends, for your overwhelming generosity. I was in church celebrating a Blessed Easter with family when we were informed of the Grand Rapids Press advertisement the station sponsored on my behalf. I will never forget your gesture of kindness and support, especially on such a great day as today. Thank you so very much.

Although it doesn’t appear that WZZM is actively courting Geha for an on-air position, the station is certainly using her dismissal, and the accompanying backlash against WOOD, to one-up a rival.

“In my opinion Wood TV8 has shown a lack of respect, not only to Ms. Geha, but also to it’s viewing public,” one viewer writes on Geha’s Facebook wall. “They clearly have forgotten that the public builds a relationship with their news anchors and TV personalities.”

WZZM’s Mason says that the station “would love” to interview Geha about the situation and her future plans, according to the Press. It would be another opportunity to celebrate the longtime anchor in a way that many locals wish its competitor would have.

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