With emotional farewell, News 12's Doug Geed signs off after 37 years 

 Doug Geed, the last remaining member of News 12 Long Island's original on-air team, wrapped a 37-year run there Thursday night by closing his final newscast with — what else? — his own departure.

In an emotional farewell, he thanked viewers for supporting its hometown station from the earliest days, when most observers wondered how News 12 would find enough material to fill 24 hours a day or whether viewers would be engaged by what they saw. 

"You really embraced us from Day One and we really are truly grateful," he said in the closing minutes of "The News at 10," then called his role "an awesome responsibility, and I want you to know it's one I took very seriously my entire career. Your giving your complete trust to somebody is not easy, and to receive that trust is an honor and a privilege and I thank you for that." 

Virtually synonymous with News 12's growth over the last four decades, Geed became a household name on Long Island through an association that began in 1986. He won his first Emmy in 1989, which was also News 12's first. He'd go on to win nine more.

Long Island was both his home (Syosset born and raised) and his beat, but also the focus of his entire career as well, going back to 1981, when he joined WALK in Patchogue as an anchor and reporter. 

To catalog the list of Geed's stories over those years, most notably during his long run as a morning anchor, would be a rundown of every major Long Island event of the last 37 years. Asked to pick the most notable story over that period, he told Newsday last year that it's "hard to pick only one moment" but said the first Emmy "sent a message to the city stations that News 12 was serious and here to stay."

In that interview, Geed said his singular "passion" is to "report on my community and the great things, the terrible things and the everyday things that affect people’s lives."

Geed, 64, was named anchor of News 12's 10 p.m. broadcast early last year but spent the bulk of his career on "Morning Edition." And for the past 25 years, he also produced and hosted the popular weekend program "The East End," which he'll continue to host through the end of this year.

Geed and another News 12 veteran, Danielle Campbell, accepted voluntary retirement offers in March from News 12's corporate parent, Altice USA. Campbell left the station in March.

News 12 announced last week that Joe Arena, who joined the station last year, will take Geed's place at 10, while Arena and Erin Colton will become co-hosts of "The East End" starting next year.