NOVI, MICH. — He made an indelible mark on Michigan broadcasting. But, for some longtime Detroit media observers, it was for the wrong reasons. Warren Pierce, known for his time at WJR-AM 760 and as a morning news anchor at WJBK-2, has died at the age of 82.
Thirty years ago, Pierce exited the TV station under a cloud of controversy. It would briefly diminish Pierce’s legacy in the Motor City, as he would enjoy an additional two decades of reaching audiences across one of the Midwest’s biggest media outlets.
In late November 1995, Pierce was defending his acceptance while in his WJBK role of accepting the free use of luxury automobiles for up to a week — a matter that put the newsman’s ethics in question. For WJBK management, the arrangement was unacceptable, as it fired Pierce after a BMW spokesperson complained that Pierce did not review six vehicles loaned to him on the grounds he’d be offering a report on their respective rides.
How prolific was Pierce’s questionable arrangements? The Detroit News noted that over the course of nearly two years, starting in early 1994, he was loaned 99 vehicles from A&M Specialists Inc. ranging from Jaguars and Cadillacs to a Mercedes-Benz.
Following the dismissal, Pierce, with the help of AFL-CIO and AFTRA representatives, sued New World Communications for dismissing him. The case was decided on appeal in January 1999 in favor of Pierce, who argued that three other media personalities engaged in similar relationships were neither disciplined nor discharged.
The matter was a blemish on a career that was bookended by notable stints at WJR-AM 760, where “The Warren Pierce Show” began in the 1970s. He even served as a sideline reporter for the station’s coverage of University of Michigan Wolverines football games. Pierce departed WJR-AM and the Fisher Building in 1993, taking a role waking up Detroit TV viewers at Channel 2 and exiting a station he worked at under Capital Cities ownership.
After the WJBK matter, Pierce worked at small stations in the Detroit market as his legal fight continued. In 2000, with the car scandal in his past, Pierce rejoined WJR, where he would spend an additional 19 years. Pierce’s pre-retirement final appearance on local media was at WDFN-AM, where he would host a weekend show until July 2022. By September 2024, followers to his Facebook page would learn that “serious medical news” had been given to Pierce.
Pierce is survived by his four daughters: Karen (Ryan) Rosett; Meredith (Alan) Block; Alexandra (Zachary) Taves; and Samantha Pierce. He is also survived by his grandchildren Jane, Esther, Abe, and Joey. Warren maintained close relationships with his former wives, Darlene Sosnick and Jacquelyn Pierce, who were all significant parts of his life.
A resident of Royal Oak, Mich., Pierce’s funeral service is arranged by the Dorfman Chapel and is scheduled for Tuesday (11/4). Charitable contributions in Pierce’s memory may be made to Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan.
With reporting by Debora Palmer, in Northville, Mich.
