Steve Bray named news director

Jeff White, President and General Manager for WISH-TV and MyINDY-TV 23, announced the promotion of Steve Bray to News Director of WISH-TV’s 24-Hour News 8.

A long time manager, Bray joined the WISH-TV team in January of 1995.  He was promoted to Chief Meteorologist in August 1999, and named News Operations Manager, in April 2009.  In that role, Bray managed the daily news and weather operations and helped transform WISH-TV’s 24-hour newsroom into a multi-platform operation better serving viewers with news and weather information on all platforms including on-air, online and mobile.  His unflinching commitment to excellence and dedication to informing Central Indiana led him to being named Assistant News Director in December 2011.

Bray’s dedication to breaking news coverage is reflected in his recent 2012 Emmy awards including: News Feature for "State Fair Stage Collapse," Breaking News Coverage for "Ten Hours of Severe Weather," and Best News Weathercast for “In the Middle of an Ice Storm”.

"Steve’s varied and experienced background in news and weather, as well as his dedication to being a first informer with digital and on-air, makes him the ideal candidate to lead our news department," said White.  "Steve has made a tremendous positive impact in every one of his many roles at WISH-TV.  I look forward to this success continuing as news director."

Bray has served as WISH-TV’s interim news director since September 2012.  During this time, he led the 24-Hour News 8 team in superior coverage of major breaking news events and oversaw the planning and execution of the most recent November sweeps period.  During his announcement to the WISH-TV staff today, White commented on the station’s recent breaking news coverage and sweeps.  "Over the past few months Steve has done a great job as our interim news director.  This was most reflective in our breaking news coverage, both digitally and on-air, of the tragic Southside explosion.  It is this kind of dedication to breaking news or breaking weather that sets Steve apart from any other."  White also commented on the successes during the recent sweeps, highlighting the I-Team 8 investigations and the strong growth during morning news, more than any other local station.

"WISH-TV has a strong news tradition coming from a great product, produced by talented people, with a core value of serving our viewers," said Bray. "I am honored and look forward to leading this talented team, making our news product even stronger."

For his outstanding efforts in the field of broadcasting, Bray has received a total of eight Emmy Awards ranging from reporting, writing and producing a documentary, to weather broadcasting.  He also received a first place award from the Indiana Society of Professional Journalist for his investigation on the structural storm damage to a downtown building.  Aside from these accomplishments, Bray has the AMS Seal of Approval and has been honored with a prestigious fellowship at the Jack R. Howard Science Institute at California Institute of Technology.

Prior to coming to WISH-TV, Steve received numerous awards while working at WALA-TV in Mobile, Alabama, and KPLC-TV in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He began his career at WAND-TV in Decatur Illinois after graduating from Northern Illinois University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology in December of 1985.

Steve and his wife Paula have two children, Samantha and Jordan, and family dogs named Wrigley and Walter.