SYRACUSE — NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) News Director Jim Campagna is ready to call it a career after nearly 50 years in broadcasting. He's set to retire next week, and the Nexstar-owned ABC affiliate has named its next newsroom boss.
Campagna joined NewsChannel 9 in 1990 as a producer and reporter.
When your editor was hired to produce The Morning News in 2005, Campagna was the Executive Producer of the then two-hour program, after which he spent the rest of his daily shift producing the noon newscast.
In December 2015, Campagna was promoted to News Director.
Campagna is known by this writer and many colleagues for his calm demeanor, warm personality and deep knowledge of the local area. He was patient and helpful to many a rookie producer and many a rookie reporter learning the ropes of the station and the Syracuse market.
While he spent most of his time behind the scenes at Channel 9, Campagna — or "Spags" as many staffers call him — would occasionally in his producing days fill-in on the anchor desk.
Prior to his long run at NewsChannel 9, Campagna worked for more than a decade in local radio newsrooms.
He had the chance to return to his radio roots for a little while, in a way, when he provided morning news updates on Sunny 102.1 (WZUN).
In an announcement on the WSYR-TV website, GM/VP Bill Evans said, "I want to thank Jim for all his hard work and contributions to NewsChannel 9 these past 34-plus years. We wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement."
In the same announcement, the ABC affiliate also announced Campagna's replacement.
Rob Taylor, who has been the station's Assistant News Director since August, will shed the "Assistant" from his title. Taylor arrived in Central New York after spending 3 years as the ND at Nexstar sister stations ABC 22 and Fox 44 in Burlington, VT.
His prior experience includes over 17 years as a producer at two TV stations in Chicago.