Date: January 4, 2013
by: Robin Hartill | City Editor

Jim Herrington spent more than 30 years at Detroit's WXYZ.

Longtime Detroit broadcaster and Longboat Key resident Jim Herrington died yesterday. He was 84.

Herrington spent more than 30 years at Detroit’s ABC affiliate WXYZ as a reporter, writer and moderator. He won four Michigan Emmys and a National Headliner Award during his career.

“Jim was one of the greats — the unquestioned dean of political reporters in Detroit, really all of Michigan, for many years,” wrote friend Molly Schechter, a former Detroit resident, in an email.

Herrington attended Northwestern University and began his journalism career in the U.S. Navy’s Armed Forces radio.

The Detroit News reported this morning on its website, detroitnews.com, that Herrington interviewed every president from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton.

Locally, he was active in Sarasota’s Media Roundtable, according to president and moderator Irwin Starr, who said that Herrington attended a forum as recently as October.

Herrington is survived by his longtime partner, Carol Camiener; daughter, Lauren Guzzardo; sons, Doug and Jim; and 10 grandchildren.

A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road.

For more information, pick up the Jan. 10 issue of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at rhartill@yourobserver.com.