Veteran WTVM sports anchor says he was fired for refusing to get COVID vaccine
A Columbus television sports director says he was fired for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dave Platta, a WTVM reporter for 36 years, made the announcement in a video posted to Twitter Wednesday night. By Thursday afternoon, it had over 33,000 views.
His final day at WTVM was Tuesday, according to Holly Steuart, vice president and general manager of the TV station.
WTVM is owned by Gray Television, a broadcasting company based out of Atlanta.
“(Gray Television) came out with the vaccine mandate, and I disagree with it because I think the mandate is the problem,” Platta told the Ledger-Enquirer. “You should have a choice. And so I made my decision, which I believe in my head and my heart is the right thing to do, and then they did what they did.”
Effective Sept. 1, new hires at Gray Television are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID. The policy extended to all managers Wednesday, and extends to all employees, outside contractors, tenants and “guests who enter our workspaces” on Oct. 1, according to the corporation’s careers page.
Platta declined to state his reason for not getting the vaccine, saying “it would start a whole ‘nother issue and I have enough on my plate.”
Steuart would not confirm that Platta was fired for refusing the coronavirus vaccine when contacted by the Ledger-Enquirer, citing company policy.
“Regarding Dave, we are grateful for his 36 years at WTVM,” she said in an email. “As you know, company policy prevents us from sharing detailed personnel information of any kind.”
Platta, in the Twitter video and during an interview with the L-E, said the decision was not WTVM’s to make.
“Nobody at WTVM wanted this to happen,” Platta said. “Nobody. Nobody.”
Platta began his career in sports broadcasting Quincy, Il. in 1981. He also worked at WIFR in Rockford, WLUK in Green Bay, Wisc. and WGHP in Greensboro, N.C. before transitioning to WTVM in 1985.
In addition to the station’s nightly sportscasts at 6 and 11 p.m., Platta also anchored and produced WTVM’s Friday night high school football show, “Sports Overtime.”
He said that while covering events like the World Series or college football was fun, the hyper-local stories were the most rewarding.
“For most folks, the things (local sports reporters) cover, that’s the pinnacle of their career,” Platta said. “And it’s really cool to be a part of that, and to give them recognition. ... I’m just a spectator, I ain’t the story, but they get to be the story.”
WTVM aired a tribute to Platta during Wednesday’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts and posted a story on its website.
This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 1:08 PM.
