WKBW-TV’s (Channel 7) award-winning investigative reporter Charlie Specht is leaving the station after five years to return to his journalistic roots and take on the same investigative role at The Buffalo News.
Specht, who also talked with representatives of WGRZ-TV, will finish out his Channel 7 contract that runs until Aug. 20 and join The News on Aug. 23.
He will be the third high-profile WKBW member to exit the station in the last six months and the fifth to exit since mid-December.
Anchor Keith Radford retired from the station on June 30 after a career that almost lasted 34 years there. Anchor-reporter Madison Carter, who created quite an impact in less than three years at WKBW, left for an Atlanta station about six months ago.
In addition, former “AM Buffalo” co-host Linda Pellegrino retired last December after 30 years on the program and Ed Reilly retired in January after about 39 years as first a photographer and then a reporter.
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“I have nothing but good things to say about Channel 7 and it was an honor to work with such passionate journalists to tell our viewers’ stories,” wrote Specht in an email.
“The timing seems right to return to the place my career began. I’ve always considered The Buffalo News to be the most important institution in Western New York and I hope my reporting will make it that much stronger.”
“I am excited about Charlie joining The Buffalo News watchdog team,” said Mike Connelly, editor of The News. “He has done great work at Channel 7, and it will be great to have him back home at The News.”
Specht was a Buffalo News reporter for almost three years before leaving the newspaper to work for the Village of Williamsville. He was there for three years before returning to journalism by joining Channel 7 in 2016.
A Buffalo native and graduate of St. Bonaventure University, Specht received national acclaim for his 2018 and 2019 reports on the sexual abuse allegations in the Buffalo Diocese.
The most impressive award won by Specht and photojournalist Jeff Wick for their coverage of the crisis in the Buffalo Diocese that led to the departure of Bishop Richard J. Malone was when they received a 2020 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.
The Diocese reports were Specht’s biggest stories at Channel 7 but not the only award winners. He and Wick won a first-place Associated Press state award for a report on Dr. Anthony Pignataro, “Deceitful Doctor. Accused Killer. New Identity.” They also earned a prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow Award for a series on Niagara County Community College that led to the resignation of its president, James. P. Klyczek.
In an email to the staff, WKBW acting news director Aaron Mason said he is excited for Specht in his adventure and praised his transition from print reporting to television.
“As we all know, TV News is a completely different ball game,” wrote Mason. “But it didn’t take Charlie long to hit a grand slam that would earn him the Pulitzer Prize of broadcast journalism – the prestigious duPont-Columbia Award. Through all of his successes – which included putting our brand new I-Team on the international map – Charlie always kept the focus on the people, the victims, the forgotten, the voiceless, while demanding accountability from those in power."
