Marissa Bailey
Channel 2 anchor-reporter Marissa Bailey is headed to Chicago in a month even though she feels Buffalo will always be her kind of town.
“Buffalo is just a great city,” said the Syracuse native in a telephone interview Tuesday shortly after stilltalkintv reported she was leaving Channel 2 after five years to look for a job in the third largest TV market in the country. “It will always be my second home.”
Bailey doesn’t have a job in the Windy City yet but she has hired a Chicago-based agent and confirms she expects to be employed there.
“I’m not at liberty to talk about what opportunities are in the works,” said Bailey, who has developed into a major and versatile talent at Channel 2.
The Niagara University graduate also confirmed that part of her reason for moving to Chicago was because her boyfriend is moving there for a job as an attorney after getting his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. She said that they have had a long distance relationship for some time.
“At one point, he was based in Buffalo,” Bailey added. She declined to name him, saying he is a very private person.
She praised Channel 2 General Manager Jim Toellner and News Director Jeff Woodard for their understanding and support.
“Every single person that I’ve worked with at Channel 2 has done something to make sure I succeeded,” said Bailey.
She singled out former News Director Ellen Crooke, who gave her the first opportunity to anchor a Sunday morning newscast. “If not for that, I would not be where I am today,” said Bailey.
She noted that her contract expired in November.
“I was at a crossroads,” she said. “I decided to look for new challenges and new opportunities. This is a risk because I’m leaving a job and a city I love.”
Bailey added she doesn’t necessarily expect to stay in the nation’s third largest market.
“I don’t necessarily rule out coming back to Buffalo some day,” she concluded.
Marissa was a key piece in the puzzle that took Channel 2 from third place to the top of the ratings. She was good for Buffalo and will do well in Chi-town. Wishing her well overall.
So who takes her place?
Station plans a job search.
Will they search at the local day care centers like Ch 4 does?????
Best of luck to Miss Bailey. Just ask John Beard– just because you chase the city lights doesn’t mean you can’t come back again. Of course, if you asked Emily Smith, you might get a different answer.
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see her someday on CNN, The Today Show or even Good Morning America. She is one of the best reporters/anchors I have seen in a while not to mention she is very pretty to look at. Best of Luck to her!
Check out the ” set” on Ch 4 at Noon. They say that it’s temporary while they get the studio remodeled. Looks like they’re back in the 50′s. Wow!
I saw that temporary set this morning and it looks brutal. Part of it has the current corner wall with the 4 logo, and the other half has the blue wall that looks like the Winging It set.
At least 2 had a good interview area that was used as the temporary set during their set replacement earlier this year.
They are preparing for HD as I previously reported.
I know. I was just comparing the temporary sets from earlier this year when 2 redid their studio and now with 4 redoing their studio.
It’s about time they redid that set. That thing hasn’t changed since the 1990s!
I think that set goes all the way back to 1991
Good for her but too bad for us viewers. She did a great job at WGRZ. I guess we are resigned to the fact that with Jodi Johnston and her family from here we are stuck with having her read the news to us like we’re 5 years old for the foreseeable future. Best of luck to Marissa
I wonder if Marissa would have stayed if she were offered the 5pm slot replacing Jodi. That should have been done regardless since it’s pretty stupid and rare to see the same anchor on twice in one day. I don’t blame her for leaving since she is constantly being bounced around as it is and didn’t really seem to have a specific title at Channel 2. Their loss for sure.
Marissa would have been great at 5pm, and it would have made more sense than having Jodi do Daybreak and then 5pm.
In either case, WGRZ is losing a great talent. The last time they had a big changeover at the station 5 years ago, that brought us Josh Boose, Heather Ly, Marissa Bailey. Then a few years ago, we saw Michael Wooten, Sarah Hopkins, and Patrick Moussignac added to the roster. All are quality talents and have done a good job here.
Besides, WGRZ is too close to being #1 to go “kiddie corps.” Besides, I don’t think WGRZ would want a Bryan Shaw, who is unwatchable with his delivery.
This “boyfriend” sounds like a real piece of work . . .
He’s robbing the Buffalo area of our best talent!
Please. I suspect you are kidding. After all, Marissa made her own decision. Give her credit for that.
He must be pretty special to get Marissa to follow him out of the state and out of a job that is for sure.
Marissa is a graduate of Syracuse University. Not NU as Mr>Pergament states above.
Maybe he has Marissa confused with NU Grad Maryalice Demler?
Marissa graduated from Niagara and went to graduate school at Syracuse. That’s what she told me. Remember, I am a Syracuse journalism (and political science) graduate. I don’t make mistakes. Kidding. Well, I don’t make too many mistakes when it comes to Syracuse grads.
Thanks Alan!
On her Facebook page there is no mention of NU. Just Syracuse so that is where I got the info from.
She’s NU all the way baby! SU for grad school
My daughter goes to NU, no wonder I like Marissa!
The irony in this story would be Marissa replacing Allison Rosati in Chicago!
Leaving town for a boyfriend and not even a fiancee? Yeesh.
When Lindsay Schwarzwaelder left 4, it was the same type of situation. It actually happens more often than we know.
Actually, Lindsay Schwarzwaelder left her fiance behind in Buffalo. She went to LEX 18 for a better job and higher salary. After almost 7 years together, the couple split. Her ex-fiance is finishing up his medical residency in Buffalo.