DETROIT – Kimberly Gill was named co-anchor of WDIV's Local 4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., announced Marla Drutz, vice-president and general manager of the station, NBC's affiliate in Detroit.
Gill will join Devin Scillian, who has been anchoring WDIV evening newscasts for nearly 20 years. This follows the recent announcement that Detroit broadcasting legend Carmen Harlan is retiring from delivering the news. Her last newscast is Nov. 11.
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“Since joining the Local 4 news team, Kimberly has done outstanding work out in the field covering stories like the shooting in Charleston, the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the nightclub shooting in Orlando and reporting nightly on ‘Local 4 News at 11 p.m.,'” said Kim Voet, WDIV’s news director.
Since December 2015, Gill has been anchoring Local 4 News at 5:30 p.m. and has been the regular fill-in on all of the evening newscasts.
“Hiring Kimberly has been one of the best decisions that the station has ever made. She is a true journalist, a compassionate storyteller and embodies the heart, work ethic and intelligence needed to tell the stories of Detroit,” said Drutz. “We knew that whoever was going to sit next to Devin Scillian and be a leader in our newsroom, was going to have to be the real deal. Kimberly is the real deal. She is going to be a big part of this TV station for many years to come.”
Before joining WDIV, Gill worked as an anchor in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. She started her career at WBTW, the CBS affiliate in Florence/Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Prior to working in television, Gill drove 18-wheelers for FedEx and fueled commercial and private airplanes for Eagle Aviation. She worked both jobs to pay her way through college at the University of South Carolina, where she earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Gill also has an MBA from Ashland University.
“I admire the fact that Detroiters are genuine, hard-working people. I’m originally from a small city in South Carolina but I feel right at home here. Detroit is a big city that’s made up of a lot of small neighborhoods. Detroiters love sports, cars and good music – those are all things that I love too. I feel as if this city has adopted me as one of its own and I’m so grateful for that,” Gill said.
Throughout her career, Gill has been recognized for her work in broadcasting. She was named Personality of the Year in 2009 by the Ohio Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. She's also a two-time Emmy winner.
Karen Drew named anchor of Local 4 News at 5:30 p.m.
Local 4 Defender and First at 4:00 anchor Karen Drew will soon join Scillian on the anchor desk for Local 4 News at 5:30 p.m. Since January 2016, Drew has anchored the ratings leading 4 p.m. newscast with Chief Meteorologist Ben Bailey. As one of Detroit’s most versatile journalists, Drew steps into the early evening anchor job with 18 years at WDIV-Local 4. She currently is a member of the Local 4 Defenders, the station's award-winning investigative unit.
Before landing at Local 4 in March of 1998, Drew started her broadcast career in Dickinson, North Dakota where she shot, wrote and edited all of her own pieces. She moved onto WHOA in Montgomery, Alabama; WTVC in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Kimberly and Karen have both done outstanding work in the field and on the anchor desk. They are exceptional anchors and people with the personalities and work ethic that we need to continue to tell the stories and connect with the people of this great city and region, ” Voet said.
Gill and Drew assume their new positions on Nov. 14.