Saluting the Retiring GMs

We enjoyed talking to some of the bigger-name general managers who are stepping down from their station posts at the end of 2010. Of course, the end of the calendar year always means a batch of prominent GMs calling it the end of a career, but it seems as though this season may have more than usual.

The ones we identified include WCPO Cincinnati’s Bill Fee, KITV Honolulu’s Michael Rosenberg, WHIO Dayton’s Harry Delaney, KOAA Colorado Springs’ David Whitaker, WRTV Indianapolis’ Don Lundy, WTEN Albany’s Mike Sechrist and WJAC Johnstown (Pa.)’s Dick Schrott.

A little further up the org chart, Jim Zimmerman is retiring as president of Media General’s broadcast division.

Of course, we didn’t get all the retiring GMs, so please pass along any names I may have missed, and a few words about that person’s contribution to broadcasting.

And it doesn’t just have to be station GMs. Feel free to share any long-tenured reporters or sales aces or creative services types who are stepping down in the coming weeks and deserve mention.

All the GMs I spoke to seemed to agree that there are some aspects of the increasingly 24/7 multiplatform local news cycle they won’t miss. KITV Honolulu’s Rosenberg mentioned his plans to take a cruise down the Amazon, visiting Devil’s Island and the introspective spot known as Dreyfus Bench.

Rosenberg at his KITV going-away party

Once there, Rosenberg quips that he’ll “contemplate multiplatform news delivery.”

And I like Dick Schrott’s plans for retirement, which do not include work of any sort, it appears.

“Thirty two years is enough,” he said. “I’m going to take it easy.”

Best of luck to all the soon to be former GMs.