Brooks Blanton Named WCCB News Director

Bahakel Communications-owned CW affiliate WCCB Charlotte, N.C., has appointed Brooks Blanton news director, beginning in June.

He comes to Charlotte from WXMI in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he has been senior news director for seven-and-a-half years. During his tenure there, Brooks oversaw the expansion of news by adding 21 hours of news each week to become the station with the most local news in West Michigan. Under his leadership, WXMI has won Emmys for best newscast and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Awards for breaking news coverage and best newscast.

Brooks recently marked his 27th year in the news business, having begun his career as an assignment editor at WILX Lansing, Mich. He also worked as an assignment editor and consumer producer in newsrooms in Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz.

During his time as a regional producer for the Fox News Channel, Brooks covered national news events like the 2008 Gulf oil spill, 2012 presidential elections and several major hurricanes on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.