7 ACTION NEWS Sports Director Don Shane Announces His Retirement

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than 38 years interviewing sports celebrities and covering every major sporting event from the Super Bowl to the NBA finals, 7 ACTION NEWS Sports Director Don Shane will retire from WXYZ in March.

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Before joining WXYZ-TV in 1989, Shane worked at WBZ-TV in Boston, WMAQ-TV in Chicago and WDIV-TV in Detroit. He has received numerous awards for his reporting including 23 Michigan Emmy Awards, a "Best Sports Anchor" honor, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle Award, as well as awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Associated Press.  During his sports career in Detroit, he also served as the play-by-play announcer for Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the Detroit Pistons.

"WXYZ has been incredibly blessed to have someone of Don's stature and talents representing Channel 7 for all these years," said Ed Fernandez, VP and General Manager of WXYZ.  "In the best sports town in the country, his unique, easy-going style and the joyful enthusiasm he brought to the job everyday will be missed." 

Shane is the longest running sports director in Detroit television.  During his career at WXYZ, Shane covered three Pistons Championships, four Red Wings Stanley Cup Championships, a Ryder Cup, the Tiger's run at the World Series in 2006 and the Super Bowl in Detroit.

"The viewers have been wonderful to me from the moment I arrived in this city.  I've been really blessed.  The things I've been able to see and do have far exceeded my expectations," said Shane. "I've had the opportunity to get to know incredible coaches, athletes and fans.  I've had the privilege to work with coaches like Bo Schembechler, Chuck Daly, Sparky Anderson...the greatest of the great...icons in their sports.  I've been lucky to be at some of the greatest sports events in the country...the Rose Bowl when Michigan won the title and at Indy when MSU won the NCAA Championships."

Shane says sports reporting in Detroit is unique because there isn't a fan base anywhere in the country like the one here in Detroit that supports its teams win or lose.  And he admits it's going to be tough to be a spectator at the events he covered for so many years.

"I'm going to miss being at the huge events, but I'm looking forward to seeing my kids more than once or twice a year and travelling with my wife who has put up with my schedule all these years."

Shane will celebrate his last day on the air at WXYZ-TV on Tuesday, March 20th. 

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse, 133-year-old media enterprise with interests in television stations, newspapers and local news and information Web sites. The company's portfolio of locally focused media properties includes: 19 TV stations (10 ABC affiliates, three NBC affiliates, five Azteca America affiliates and one independent); daily and community newspapers in 13 markets, and the Washington, D.C.-based Scripps Media Center, home of the Scripps Howard News Service. For a full listing of Scripps media companies and their associated Web sites, visit http://www.Scripps.com/.

SOURCE WXYZ-TV