Longtime WJXT (Jacksonville) General Manager Bob Ellis is leaving the Graham station, but not the company.

Ellis is headed to WDIV in Detroit, which is also a Graham station.

WDIV ranks in the top three NBC affiliates among the largest 40 markets nationwide.

Meanwhile, WJXT has been an independent station for years. Back in 2002, WJXT told CBS to pound salt as affiliation negotiations went south. The station became a true independent and has been a success story in doing so.

WJXT’s newscast often win the ratings or are very competitive in the ratings race.

Tegna runs the ABC and NBC affiliates in Jacksonville, while Cox runs the CBS and Fox stations. If WJXT wasn’t around, viewers would only have two choices for their news coverage, either the Tegna stations, or the Cox stations.

Ellis had been a big part of the success of WJXT and it will be a big hole for Graham to fill.