Former phoenix news anchors1/2/2024 ![]() ![]() Until now, the fields Spencer covered generally had white lines painted on them - and the San Antonio native has been comfortable in such settings since childhood.Ĭourtesy of Michael Spencer "I played football and basketball growing up," he says. Ron is a tremendous interviewer, Tom is a wonderful storyteller and interviewer, and Michael is a terrific interviewer, a true journalist and an excellent field reporter." And like Ron and Tom, Michael brings something additional, something special, to the table. "I wouldn't say that was part of the reason we chose Michael, but I would acknowledge that, depending on the person, sports anchors have an opportunity to demonstrate a little more personality than news anchors do, and for that reason, they may make a deeper connection with the audience," he says. Wieland, in conjunction with current CBS4 Denver news director Kristine Strain, saw in Spencer the ability to bring the relatability he built when covering sports to the news desk. Ron Zappolo, a veteran of both CBS4 Denver and 9News, took the leap in 2000, when he helped launch the news operation at Fox31, and Tom Green, now with 9News, made the same journey. Moving from sports to news is hardly unprecedented in Denver. "A lot of his sports reporting has led our newscasts, and he's demonstrated his aptitude as a news journalist as well as a sports anchor." "In the time Michael's been here as a sports anchor, he's really done work that transcends the sports office," Wieland says. Not only do we believe in the station and the leadership and where we're heading, but we love living in this community and are looking forward to becoming an even bigger part of it."Ĭourtesy of Michael Spencer That's fine by Tim Wieland, who served as CBS4 Denver's news director for more than seventeen years before assuming the roles of vice president and general manager in 2021. My wife and I got engaged here, we got married here, and we want to be here for a very long time, and we're hoping this move will enable us to do that. "That's part of the reason why we're making this move - and I say 'we' because it's a family decision. "My wife, Hailey, and I just had our first child on November 6: a baby girl, Stella James Spencer," he says. Now, however, Spencer has other priorities. ![]() People buy tickets for these things, and I'm fortunate that I get to go as part of work, so to speak." "Who doesn't want to go to games for a living? I feel so fortunate about having been to so many big-time games - not just here in Denver, but even before getting here. "It's fun," says Spencer, who'll turn 35 in January, of his current gig. But until then, he remains the station's lead sports personality - a job that he quite frankly adores. weekday newscasts with longtimer Karen Leigh. Next March, Spencer will take over for the retiring Jim Benemann as a news anchor at CBS4 Denver, where he'll co-host the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Michael Spencer is in a transitional phase. ![]()
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