WXYZ-TV’s Jim Kiertzner Announces Retirement

Jim Kiertzner

After 49 years in the business, WXYZ-TV reporter/investigator Jim Kiertzner has announced that he will be retiring September 15.  Kiertzner, who joined the station in 2007, previously spent 4 years across town at WDIV-TV.  Prior to Detroit, Kiertzner was in Saginaw, both at WNEM-TV and WSMH-TV.  He came to Michigan after working in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

In Mid-Michigan, his work helped lead to the ouster of a mayor, helped free a young man wrongfully convicted of a crime and helped change Michigan law regarding background checks of medical doctors who come to Michigan.  Kiertzner has won 5 Emmys for his investigative reporting work, numerous AP, UPI and Michigan Association of Broadcasters awards over the years and an Edward R. Murrow award for his continuous live reporting on the Wayne, Michigan furniture store explosion in 2010.

He has also been inducted into Silver Circle of the Michigan Chapter of NATAS, The National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, The Emmys, signifying at least 25 years of honorable work in the television industry. Kiertzner was nominated for this honor by then-WXYZ-TV News Director Tim Dye.

In an interview with Deadline Detroit, he said, “I’m done with the daily grind. I’ve been doing this for 49 years, it’s been a great run. I love what I do, but at 65, I’m at the end of a contract here now and I have chosen to hit the brakes. I’m going to do some traveling and relaxing.  I’m not totally done, I will do something next year in television in 2023, so I can say I’ve done this 50 years.”