Phone: 616-364-1717
Email: bblanton@fox17online.com
What is your job?
I supervise content for all media platforms including on-air, on-line, social media, mobile apps and special programming. My job is to create and implement strategic plans to achieve long-term goals of the news department. I also recruit, hire, manage, and develop talent, managing all human resource functions.
When did you start working here?
I have been with FOX 17 since September 2013.
Where else have you worked?
I have worked at TV stations in Lansing, Arizona and was a breaking news producer for FOX NewsChannel.
Where did you go to college?
Michigan State University
Where did you grow up?
Union City, Michigan
What are some of the biggest news stories you have covered or led coverage of?
I have covered a lot of hurricanes including Katrina, Rita, Ike, Gustav, Dean and numerous tropical storms. I also covered the Gulf Oil Spill, the Virginia Tech Shooting and the massive tornado in Oklahoma City that killed 26 school children.
What is your philosophy on news?
In everything we do, if we are not making a difference in people's lives, then we are wasting our time. Our most important job is to inform and advocate for our community. I believe that if we deliver the basic information that people need to know everyday, we are arming them with tools to form their own conclusions about what is most important in their daily lives.
What do you love about living here?
I grew up in Michigan and I love being able to spend more quality time with my family.
