From the West Coast to the Great Lakes State

After WDIV-TV’s Devin Scillian broadcasts his final newscast this Friday, December 13th, Ty Steele, who has been on Local 4 for several weeks, will anchor the evening newscasts at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. in which Steele Sacramento most recently worked at KCRA-TV. Since moving to Troy with his family – and their Maltipoo Blue – last fall, he has already developed a large following not only on his first newscasts here (“In Your Neighborhood” segments and early evening newscasts), but also on social media Here you’ll find him and his family—his wife, Stephanie Steele, PhD, and four daughters—enjoying area parks, enjoying school activities, and blending delicious smoothies at home.

Steele started the job in the fall so Scillian could show him work at the station and in Detroit. (Scillian took him to a Red Wings game and introduced him to a Coney dog.)

I first met Steele at Buddy’s Pizza in Troy, his new hometown, where he sampled the iconic savory pie as part of his introduction to Detroit (“I love the crispy crust and the Wisconsin brick cheese!” he says). Goals. Here he tells a little about himself.

They have no family in Michigan and yet wanted to move here from California. Why?

Detroit is the comeback city and I want to be a part of it! Plus, when you get a great career opportunity at a powerhouse like Local 4, it’s hard to turn down. I’ve also always been fascinated by the Midwest. I was attracted to moving here, especially because we have a family with small children (ages 4 to 10) and the emphasis here seems to be on family values ​​and community involvement.

Why did you choose Troy as your place of residence?

Our biggest criteria was great schools and then we wanted good shopping, parks, friendliness, safety and a nice house. Troy is all that.

When did you know you wanted to be a news anchor?

I was young. I remember in the 1990s driving around with my three brothers in my parents’ Chevy van where we grew up (Lacey, Washington). I acted as if the cars passing by were my audience, and I broadcast to them as if they were my viewers. In third grade, I was a paperboy with one of my brothers. I knew I was delivering something important, and I felt like I had a big job. We were paid $150 a month and had to split it. I was a strange kid watching the news. And I loved communication at school, debating and things like that.

The news anchor’s job has changed in recent years. What are your tasks?

Not only do we spread news, we also write it online and for social media. We also perform publicly. Did you know that journalists are now competing with influencers? However, I think Detroit is a little different than most news markets. People engage with the news. There’s a lot of Detroit pride. I’ve noticed this since day one. I’ll be on Local 4 News at 4, 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. until Devin retires. Then I’ll be the news anchor at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.

The beloved Devin Scillian is a great act to follow. How is it going so far?

He sure is. He’s a great guy in front of and behind the camera and that takes a lot of energy. He is a consummate professional and values ​​storytelling and sharing accurate, timely information that impacts the daily lives of people in the Detroit metropolitan area. I will work very hard to follow in his footsteps. I’ve learned a lot from him so far and even enjoyed a steak dinner with him at Parc, which was my first foodie experience in Detroit. Devon was super welcoming and kind.

How about your downtime?

(When I was younger) I spent a lot of time reading, writing, drawing and painting (including watercolors). After starting my career and having children, I haven’t devoted as much time to my artwork as I would have liked. But I can’t wait to find the space and time to pick it up again. And fitness is one of my hobbies. I have been lifting weights since I was 14 years old. I train five days a week and try to eat healthy. You could say I’m a gym rat!

And here we are at Buddy’s! So are you really splurging?

I don’t cheat much, but for me the greatest pleasure is pizza or a huge double burger with fries. In fact, I recently enjoyed a burger at Redcoat Tavern. Great!

Are there any surprises in Michigan so far that you didn’t expect?

No surprises, just confirmations. I had heard that people in the Midwest were super welcoming. That’s exactly what I saw.