Happy 70th birthday to Bill Steffen!

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All the best to a Grand Rapids legend.


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[Trophyhead]

A big week wraps up for Bill, as he was given a national award as the Outstanding Eagle Scout midweek.

I would see him frequently at the Scout Salute on September 11, over the years and he was the featured speaker at a Masonic Temple dinner for Scouts who were freshly minted with this honor, or in the path to pursue their projects and complete their Boards of Review.

I also got to deal with him professionally for several years, and his deportment was always even-tempered and focused on serving us well.

Happy Birthday!

[BirdieKingBobo]

I am a weather nerd and thought about being a meteorologist as a kid growing up. I had a chance to visit TV 13 back when Craig James Woods, Mr. Steffen and Bow Tie George held down the fort in the early 80's. Mr. Steffan was awesome back then and has always been my favorite in GR. The best day in Grand Rapids news history was when Mr. Steffan left TV-13 and that dumb weather deck and got to spread his wings at WOOD. Bless you Mr. Steffan, you always have looked like my dad.... (who is 51 days younger than him.).

[Bull Shannon]

Crazy to think that, come this September, Bill will have 20 years in at WOOD on top of his (almost) 26 at WZZM.

Gotta wonder how much longer it'll be before he decides to retire.

[dwp49423]

Did Bill work at a station in a different market before landing at WZZM back in 1975? My guess is he will retire when he hits 50 years in TV (either general or West Michigan).

[MasterB]

I thought that Bill was older like 75 to 76 years old. I was quite surprised that Bill left WZZM to go to Wood TV that was a H*** get for Wood TV.

[Bull Shannon]

Did Bill work at a station in a different market before landing at WZZM back in 1975? My guess is he will retire when he hits 50 years in TV (either general or West Michigan).

WZZM was Bill's first broadcast job. Started in November of 1974, according to his bio on WOOD's website.

If I remember correctly: when he left WZZM in 2001, he didn't have a non-compete clause in his contract, so it was like within a week or two of him leaving WZZM that WOOD announced on-air he was joining the station.

I, too, would like to see Bill stick around long enough to celebrate 50 years on air. Maybe even 25+ years at both stations.

[Trophyhead]

Strictly speaking, Bill was on the radio as a teenager in suburban Chicago, we have discussed it. He is proud of that experience. I get that you mean as a meteorologist delivering his forecasts on TV.