Brad Schmitt

brad@tennessean.com

Dennis Ferrier, 23-year veteran reporter at WSMV Channel 4, was ordered off the air and out of the newsroom Tuesday, several Channel 4 staffers confirmed.

He is the third veteran news personality to leave Channel 4 in the past eight months.

Nancy Van Camp, weekend weather anchor for 22 years, left last month after station managers didn’t renew her latest contract.

Anchor Jennifer Johnson, who worked on and off at Channel 4 for 13 years, left Dec. 31 after the station moved her off the anchor desk and back to reporting.

Station general manager Doreen Wade did not immediately return a call for comment.

Ferrier, who declined comment Wednesday, was told to leave the station the day he got back from his father’s funeral in California, staffers said.

Johnson said she is disappointed in the way Channel 4 is getting rid of veteran news personalities.

Other stations also recently lost veteran personalities.

Longtime Channel 5 meteorologist Ron Howes retired at the end of May.

And longtime Channel 2 weathercaster Lisa Patton has announced she’ll retire soon.

Reach Brad Schmitt at 615-259-8384 or on Twitter @bradschmitt.

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