Chicago Station to Beef Up Investigative Unit

WMAQ in Chicago is expanding the station's investigative unit at the NBC O&O. 

The station announced major plans to expand its current investigative team.  By adding five new members – both on air and off air – that will be exclusively dedicated to investigative stories, this newly expanded unit will be the largest of its kind in Chicago and the state of Illinois.  Currently the NBC 5 Investigates team includes veteran, award-winning journalists Carol Marin, Rob Stafford, Lisa Parker, Phil Rogers, Marion Brooks and Dick Johnson along with several producers and photographers. 

As part of this expansion, veteran journalist Phil Rogers will become a full-time investigative reporter.  Rogers has been a general  assignment reporter at NBC 5 since 1993 and has won numerous awards for his breaking news and investigative reporting.  This change will allow him to devote all of his attention to investigative stories.  In addition, producer Courtney Copenhagen will move from producing the 12 noonweekday newscast to become a dedicated investigative producer.  Also, Chris Coffey will join the NBC 5 investigative team in August.  Coffey comes to Chicago from WVIT, the NBC-owned station in Hartford, Connecticut, where he was part of the Troubleshooter investigative team since it launched in January 2012.  Other members of the team will be announced soon.

“We are committed to investigative journalism and want to complement our already strong investigative team with a major infusion of resources,” said David Doebler, President and General Manager of NBC 5 Chicago.  “With this additional dedicated staff, we will be able to provide our viewers with even more stories and in-depth investigations on a daily basis.”