GREEN BAY – One of the most recognizable faces and voices in Green Bay is retiring from television.
After more than four decades at WBAY-TV, including nearly 27 of them at the evening anchor desk, Bill Jartz will sign off on May 23, the station announced Monday.
Jartz plans to continue in his role as the public address announcer at Lambeau Field, a position he’s held since 2005.
“There is just no one like Bill. Our viewers will miss him, his co-workers will miss him, and I will miss him,” WBAY general manager Steve Lavin said in a news release.
Jartz, who grew up in Clintonville and attended Northwestern University on an athletic scholarship, started as a sports reporter when he came to WBAY in 1983 from a TV position in Wausau. He briefly left broadcasting in June 1990 but returned in January 1993 as WBAY’s sports director.
When an evening anchor position opened up, he made the move to news in 1998 and was paired with his 10 p.m. co-anchor Cami Rapson, who has been at the station since 1993. The two would go on to become one of local television’s most popular anchor teams, with a quick, good-humored comment from Jartz on the weather and his jovial laugh often punctuating the end of their newscasts together at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
“The best person, the best work partner, a forever friend,” Rapson said in a news release. “It is not lost on me how lucky I have been to spend the last 26 years co-anchoring the newscasts with Bill, and over 30 years of working in the newsroom together. It’s been a dream partnership; a person who cares about the team, the product, and the viewers. He is one of a kind, and I feel so blessed to have been part of his career.”
It’s the people Jartz said he will miss most, including Rapson.
“I grew up watching (WBAY anchor) Chuck Ramsay, and later I shared an office with the State Broadcasting Hall of Famer. I’ve seen many people leave here for bigger markets — even network jobs. I can say I was there in their early days and got to watch them grow into incredible journalists. And Cami has been an angel for supporting me and getting me through some tough times in my life. I could not have asked for a better TV wife!”
Away from WBAY and Lambeau Field, Jartz’s deep connection to the community has been evident in his work with many charitable events, including the CP Telethon and Make-A-Wish’s Gourmet Wishes. He has been recognized for giving back, including the Heart of Gold Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th annual WPS Volunteer Awards and the 2022 Governor’s Service Award. Last year, he was named a Local Broadcast Legend by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
His retirement plans include time on his John Deere tractors
Even bigger than his professional career, Lavin said Jartz’s true legacy is his commitment to the community.
“I can’t think of another media personality who has made a bigger impact,” he said. “Whether volunteering as an emcee, auctioneer, guest speaker, or celebrity judge, Bill supports countless fundraisers and events. He simply does not say no to any cause where he thinks his time and energy can make a difference.”
Jartz said he retirement plans include to continue volunteering, doing more hunting and fishing and enjoying being able to have dinner with his wife, Mary, on weeknights.
“I also need to spend more time driving my John Deere tractors! I can’t fix them, but I sure enjoy driving them. Maybe it’s time to learn how to fix them?” he said.
Jartz, who has been a member of the Packers Hall of Fame Board since 2023, has also newly joined the Packers Board of Directors.
He thanked viewers for trusting him with the local news.
“When I took over for Chuck Ramsay, he was the Walter Cronkite of Northeast Wisconsin!” Jartz said. “Those were big shoes to fill. I didn’t want to blow it, and I don’t think I did. I always tried to inject a little humor where possible, because we all need to smile and laugh more. I tried my best, and I hope I served you well.”
Jartz’s retirement will be the latest in a string of high-profile departures by longtime personalities at WBAY in the last year.
Jeff Alexander, whose 30 years at the station included news and his popular “Small Towns” feature stories, left in December to be closer to family in Washington state. Morning co-anchor Kathryn Bracho departed in May after 21 years to take a job in public relations and marketing. Reporter and anchor Sarah Thomsen stepped away in February 2024 as she continues therapy for a severe concussion sustained in a car crash in 2022.
At WLUK-TV, cooking and lifestyle host Amy Hanten retired in December after 33 years on mornings at that station.
Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @KendraMeinert.