WOOD-TV Channel 8 has produced a week-long self promotion feature in celebration of its 70 years in broadcasting. Some of the information presented is fascinating, but some also lands a bit on the dark side.
The fascinating parts are references to WLAV, the first call letters when it came on the air in 1949 as Grand Rapids’ first television station, and the many nostalgic old photos and videos of people we watched in the studio during bygone days.
However, just as the art work suggests here from the Great Society album from 1966, the series was plagued by the phrase, “Conspicuous Ony in Its Absence.”
Glaringly ignored was Suzanne Geha, the news anchor over 30 years who suddenly and mysteriously parted ways with WOOD-TV in 2011. She was conspicuous by her absence.
To this day, very little is known publicly about what happened to cause her departure. Neither side has commented very much. Perhaps there is some kind of non-disclosure agreement involved. But WZZM-TV showed a lot of savvy in this story by placing a full-page ad in the Grand Rapids Press, thanking Geha for her service and making them better. WOOD-TV had to be embarrassed, at least for a little while.
Like many other observers, I had mixed emotions about West Michigan’s first female news anchor, who burst on the scene in the mid-1970s. On one hand, I had tremendous respect and admiration for her aunt, the legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas. But on the other, she had this nasty habit of hyperventilating over stories she covered, overhyping their importance.
I was particularly perturbed with her when Channel 8 reported on the Hastings Banner revealing that Candy Lawrence, wife of convicted murderer Steve Lawrence, had passed her lie detector test before her trial on conspiracy charges. The jury was polled by the prosecuting attorney, and none reported they had seen the story. Ms. Geha commented something to the effect that people just don’t get their news from print publications but instead turn to broadcast news. I thought it was a cheap shot.
For the most part, however, I did not believe Suzanne Geha was any better or worse than her colleagues, whom I asserted were just doing the bidding of their corporate masters.
But the story of her sudden disappearance from public view has helped shape by very negative view of the corporate philosophy when well-known and perhaps well-liked public personalities are dismissed without explanation.
It’s been eight years now, and many West Michigan people have been deliberately left in the dark about whatever happened to Suzanne Geha. Some will say it’s none of the public’s business, that’s it’s a personnel matter that should and will remain private.
As a member of the pesky press for so long, I have fought long and hard against public people leaving suddenly and inexplicably. Sometimes the corporate line is given that the dearly departed “left to spend more time with his (or her) family,” which nowadays elicits scorn and derision, and deservedly so. Apparently the public doesn’t really have a right to know, which makes the Suzanne Geha story even more offensive because she worked for a company that made a living on digging for the truth and letting the public know what’s going on.
There are times we must have an informative and substantive debate about the sudden disappearances of very public figures. Opting for the “What you don’t know won’t hurt you” response merely fuels public mistrust in public and private institutions.
So I would have liked to have seen the historical and self-promoting feature on Channel 8 include Geha, Bill Freeman, Rick Roberts and some others who are no longer welcomed into our living rooms. Television news, weather and sports personalities are heavily promoted and therefore well known. We common everyday working stiffs deserve some kind of explanation, however feeble.
I have thought of her often and wondered what happened to her. When I watched the program I was hoping she was going to be there. Sad, the little they said about her.
Suzanne Geha did very well in a much bigger market before coming to GR. I thought she was very good at what she did, and her departure from WOOD-TV remains a mystery. She lived in my neighborhood, and I had some minor interactions with her over the years; voting, school activities, etc. I found her to be very personable, well informed, and clearly very intelligent.
Ms. Geha couldn’t make it in the Detroit market so she lowered herself to work in the hinterlands of Grand Rapids. She had to get excited about stories she covered because nobody else was.
Her aunt, Helen Thomas, was a leftist hack who never got over Kennedy being assassinated and nobody else would give her attention. She hated anyone but Democrats in office, at least she didn’t sugarcoat her bias.
Rick Roberts anchored the 6 and 11 o’clock news for TV-8 for 13 years (’83-’96). After leaving TV-8 he did some news on local morning radio. Roberts was just 59 when he died in 2006 from injuries he suffered in a fall at his home. His departure from TV8 wasn’t a happy one.
Suzanne Geha came to the TV-8 anchor chair from Detroit where she had been a reporter. I remember she left GR and TV-8 to return to the Detroit market. When she appeared to be stuck as a reporter, not getting an anchor desk for mornings, noon and was told 6 and 11 were never going to happen, she came back. The GR audience loved her. TV-8 made a big deal of her return with a “Suzanne is Back!” marketing campaign. I was told by a friend who worked at WOOD that Geha wanted a new contract in 2011 and station management decided it was time for a new female anchor.
I knew Bill Freeman after he left TV-8 and had a radio show on WGVU. He left WGVU, became a minister and became an activist preacher in Holland. Bill wanted to do stories at TV-8 that could have upset advertisers and news directors had no interest in airing that kind of work.
What viewers saw on the reunion show last week was a group of folks who played the game well, never offending management.
It’s amazing after all this time, it’s never publicly come out why Suzanne was terminated at WOOD TV 8. I’ve have friends that have worked there and am told their environment is not a happy or healthy one. Cut-throat at best (watch your back at all times).
It’s amazing when you look at old News 8 newscasts on YouTube from the 1990’s and 2000’s how much more professional their journalism and broadcast actually was compared with today. They’ve dumbed it down since and, by the looks of it, pay as little as possible for what passes as their “journalists” today. Sad.
It’s 2020. The absence of any gender analysis here is indicative of what happened with Geha and her career.
Susan has an impeccable influence on west MI. I have yet to hear of any shananagans faulting her. I am proud to have been witness to her many years of broadcasting. I believe her Christian beliefs and professional standards are not welcomed any longer tragically.
Wow, just came across article re: Suzanne Geha. Have ‘wondered’ for years why & where’ she’d gone. Resided in East Lansing but would watch WOOD 8, Suzanne Geha. Thought she was a good journalist/presenter and interpreter of the News. Also thought she presented herself in a very personable, genuine manner, along with the appearance of a strong, assertive, confident female Anchor!