Matthew Simon

I could not be prouder to lead the I-Team, News Center 7's investigative and special reports unit. I say that with so much humbleness. During my more than 20 years working in the TV news business, I've always admired WHIO-TV, America's #1 CBS affiliate, as one of the best in the business. In early 2019, I could not resist the opportunity when WHIO-TV recruited me to join their management team as Special Projects Executive Producer. Since joining WHIO, I’m proud to be part of a leadership team that has been honored with dozens of journalism’s most prestigious awards, including Regional EMMYs, Edward R. Murrow, Society of Professional Journalists & Associated Press accolades. One thing I particularly love about my role, is it allows me to work one-on-one with some of the business' best reporters while also continuing my first journalism love: reporting and storytelling. Therefore, I get the honor of also being a contributing I-Team reporter. I guess you could say my journalism passion was unearthed in my hometown of Mountain Brook, AL, which is a suburb of Birmingham. Thanks to my high school's work study program, I was fortunate to be able to start my TV news career at 16, interning for the next two years with WVTM-TV. More than 20 years later, my journalism journey has taken me on a path from Alabama to Alaska to Ohio, with career stops in Missouri, Kansas, North Carolina and Wisconsin along with way. That means I have the added experience of doing just about every job a TV newsroom can offer. I am an extra proud University of Missouri School of Journalism graduate. While at MU, I focused my studies on investigative journalism, (the world's premier investigative journalism organization, Investigative Reporters and Editors [IRE], is located at Mizzou). I spent all four of my college years working for the university-owned NBC affiliate KOMU-TV, where I helped start the station's ‘Target 8’ investigative unit, which is still in existence today. Ask anyone who knows me well, and they'll tell you I'm one of the most passionate folks you'll ever meet when it comes to advocating journalism's founding principal of being a government watchdog. I have a long track record of reporting on government waste, holding people in power accountable and giving those that feel they do not have one a voice an outlet and uncovering personal stories behind trends. My move to Dayton comes after spending five years in Wisconsin. My last three years in The Badger State I worked for News Center 7's CBS sister station in the north central city of Wausau at WSAW-TV. I was hired to start the station's investigative unit and served for three years as WSAW's senior investigative reporter along with anchoring the 4:00 p.m. newscast. Our I-Team's reporting highlights included exposing a crisis and government coverup inside the state's juvenile justice system, loopholes impacting veterans' emergency care, and the lack of resources for families battling the opioid crisis, which received an Edward R. Murrow regional award of excellence for best series. I'm humbled to say numerous other stories our team put together were honored by the Midwest Broadcast Journalism Association and Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. My first two years in Wisconsin were spent at Madison's WISC-TV, where my investigative reporting on gangs and the opioid epidemic received a National Edward R. Murrow award for my reporting role in an officer-involved shooting death of a biracial teen and a regional EMMY award for Outstanding Achievement for Media Interactivity. I was also part of the investigative team honored by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association for exposing how emergency radio failures were putting first responders' lives at risk. During my career, Alaska became a second home to me. I spent seven years there at KTVA-TV and later KTUU-TV, primarily as a political and investigative reporter, where I also managed both newsrooms on the weekends. My Alaska highlights included covering former Gov. Sarah Palin's administration, a volcanic eruption, a series of political corruption trials, and the last years and notable death of one of the most prominent political figures in U.S. history, former Sen. Ted Stevens. Prior to KTVA-TV, I worked as a general assignment reporter at KAKE-TV (ABC) in Wichita, Kansas, where among much crime news I covered the infamous BTK serial killer's reemergence and capture. My resume also includes news reporter roles at Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina's Spectrum Cable News and Montgomery, AL's WSFA-TV. Most importantly I truly appreciate life and love those important loved ones in my life. I say that with the perspective of surviving both testicular cancer at 21 years old, and a massive "widowmaker" heart attack when I was 35 years old. I think health education and taking care of yourself is so important. I'm constantly on a mission to find healthy food that doesn't taste healthy. You'll find me working out most mornings. In my free time I love reading all sorts of books, from a good biography to the best fiction. My husband and I also are passionate travelers, try to catch up on our backlog of DVR shows, and love being fur dads to our dogs. To no one's surprise I'm also a proud news junkie. We're glad to now call the Miami Valley home, and look forward to continuing to get to know more new neighbors.