Marla Drutz, VP and general manager of WDIV Detroit, has announced her retirement. She has run the Graham Media Group station for more than 13 years. She will step down in the coming months after a replacement is hired and transitioned into the role.
“Marla is a dynamic local broadcaster who loves, eats and breathes everything about serving a local market. She consistently demonstrates a keen ability to cultivate new business, strengthen our service to the metro Detroit community, create engaging news and local programming, and increase revenue while leading a management team dedicated to growing ratings and upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity,” said Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group. “She has been a confidant to me and I’m thankful for the years she has led this legacy station.”
Drutz has held her current position since July 2008. WDIV has been presented with 18 Edward R. Murrow Awards during her tenure, and has been named Station of the Year seven times by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. WDIV also won the NAB’s Service to America award in 2011 and 2017.
"I am grateful to have spent nearly four decades doing what I love and I’m eternally grateful for the last 13 years at WDIV-Local 4 and Graham Media Group. I strongly believe in the power and value of local television and I am very proud of what my colleagues at WDIV have accomplished together during times of great successes and world challenges," said Drutz. "I believe now is the right time for me to retire and the station is operationally very sound and positioned for continued success.”
Drutz was named B+C’s GM of the Year in 2017.
Prior to joining WDIV, Drutz was director of programming at Scripps-owned WXYZ Detroit. Earlier in her career, she was the marketing director at WJBK Detroit.
