FLINT (WJRT) -
(02/25/13) - The Michigan chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which is the Emmy award organization, Sunday, inducted ABC12's Larry Elliott into the Silver Circle, for his contributions during his more than 25 years of excellence in Michigan television news.
All of us at ABC12 would like to congratulate Larry for his award.
Larry has been a daily presence in Mid-Michigan living rooms since Gerald Ford was in the white house, and union boss Jimmy Hoffa was first reported missing.
Nearly 40 years have passed, and the cub reporter who literally helped put WBKB-TV in Alpena on the air doing everything from running studio cameras, audio, and flooring, to on air weather, reporting and anchoring, would dive right into a television career at WJRT in 1979, that would take him around the world.
Larry has reported from Guatemala, twice from Honduras, four times from Japan, Grand Cayman Island, Germany and Sweden.
He was driven to report on whatever was breaking in the auto industry, whether it was his weekly car critique, automotive beat or labor news, and give our station, and viewers a trusted guide through uncharted territory.
Larry did ABC12's first ever satellite live shot, used the stations first laptop computer, manages our newsroom computer systems, and coordinated our conversion to non linear news editing, along with the use of skype and smart phones in our news gathering.
The Flint native would also take our audience to depths and places they've never been, like exploring the shipwreck and legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and showing us first hand what it's like for those who spend their "Life on the Lakes."
Larry's always been a hard news reporter, but the ABC12 anchor isn't afraid to have a little fun.
Our viewers never know where his adventures will take them.
You could say scuba diving is his second true love.
His high school sweetheart Susan, now his wife of 37 years, claims the top spot.
They have two sons, five grandsons, two granddaughters, and have been through every breaking news story, shift change, twist and turn in this crazy business, together.
Larry's won Emmys, AP, UPI, MAB and Detroit Press Club awards, and he's covered a lot of news during his career
But after all these years, it's safe to say the story he's most proud of, is theirs.
