Marty Bass to Step Away from Baltimore Television After 48 Years, Closing Long-Running WJZ Chapter

A departure date and an unusually long local tenure

Marty Bass, a longtime on-air presence in Baltimore television, is set to leave WJZ-TV at the end of May 2026, concluding a career that spans 48 years in local broadcasting. The timeline places his start in Baltimore-area television in 1978 and marks one of the longer continuous runs for a single personality in a major-market local newsroom.

The announcement, shared publicly on Monday, March 16, 2026, immediately sparked widespread attention in Baltimore media circles because of Bass’s longevity and familiarity to viewers who have watched him across multiple station eras and format changes.

Role at WJZ and visibility beyond weather

Bass has been closely associated with WJZ’s on-air product for decades, including weather segments and other recurring features built around community events and local institutions. Over the years, those assignments have made him a regular presence outside the studio as well as within it, placing him in a category of broadcaster whose responsibilities extend beyond forecasting into audience-facing storytelling and station promotion of local life.

WJZ, like many local TV stations, has increasingly integrated technology into presentation in recent years. In early 2026, the station rolled out a new augmented/virtual reality studio capability for weather coverage, and Bass remained listed among the veteran weather team associated with that launch—an indication that, until his planned departure, he continued to work within the station’s evolving production environment.

What his exit signals for Baltimore local TV

Bass’s planned departure adds to a broader transition underway across Baltimore television, where long-tenured, highly recognizable on-air figures have been gradually stepping away over the past decade. That shift has been shaped by a mix of factors common to local broadcasting, including changing viewer habits, expanding streaming competition, and newsroom staffing and budget pressures affecting stations nationwide.

For WJZ, the immediate practical question becomes how the station will redistribute or redesign roles that have relied on a familiar personality with a long-standing relationship to the market. Local stations often respond to retirements by elevating existing staff, adding new hires, or restructuring programs around team-based presentation rather than a single signature figure.

Key confirmed details

• Bass is scheduled to leave WJZ at the end of May 2026.
• The move closes a 48-year career in Baltimore-area television, dating back to 1978.
• The announcement was made publicly on Monday, March 16, 2026.

Bass’s departure date places his final weeks on-air during the spring transition season—typically one of the most active times of year for local forecasting in Maryland.

No successor or programming changes tied to his exit had been formally detailed as of Monday.