Out the Door in Birmingham

Longtime WVTM (Birmingham) Anchor Mike Royer says he is leaving the station in June.

While Ryer doesn't say, it appears that he is not exactly leaving the station on his own terms. 

June also will mark Royer's 40th year in television -- the last 36 of which have been here in Birmingham, where he started at WBRC before moving to NBC 13.

"Forty years in television is a long time for anyone, and I've been blessed to have been in it this long," Royer said in a prepared statement that he shared with AL.com. "Ten of those spent doing the weather at WBRC television allowed me to work with Joe Langston, Tom York and General Manager Nick Bolton. While I might not have realized it at the time, those years were some of the best.

"It's time to move on from WVTM and on to the next chapter of my life and career," Royer's statement continued. "After months of personal reflation, I've decided I will leave WVTM-TV this summer after honoring my current contract, ready for whatever is next."

The 63-year-old Royer's contract runs through June 14.

In a follow-up interview with AL.com this evening, Royer said he has a standard six-month non-compete clause in his contract with NBC 13, but he won't rule out the opportunity to come back at another station in the Birmingham market after those six months expire in mid-December. 

Sounds like someone that was not quite ready to retire from TV news.