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There's apparently been some wrangling and audible calling behind the scenes, but Channels 2 and 9 finally announced their new news anchor schedules. The biggest move is that Pat Harvey officially switches to Channel 2 and will anchor at 5 and 11 p.m. with Paul Magers. Laura Diaz gets 6 p.m. solo.
Paul Magers and Pat Harvey: CBS 2 News at 5 and 11p.m.
Laura Diaz: CBS 2 News at 6 p.m.
Sharon Tay: KCAL 9 News at 8 and 10 p.m.
Also, Jackie Johnson takes her weather reports to Channel 2 at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. and Jim Hill signs a multi-year contract extension. Release after the jump.
Previously at LA Observed:
Big day for newsroom carnage at KCBS/KCAL
Suzanne Rico says goodbye on her terms
Diaz has moved into the new role of solo anchoring the weekday editions of CBS 2 News at 6 p.m. This makes Diaz, a Southern California native and first-generation Mexican-American, the first Latina to solo anchor a nightly newscast for a major station in Los Angeles.
In addition, Mauldin announced that Diaz’s new schedule will allow her to devote more time to preparing her signature brand of award-winning news features and interviews with local heroes, newsmakers and community leaders that have long established her as one of the most prominent and respected broadcast journalists in Southern California.
Diaz will also take on the additional responsibility of hosting and playing a role in the creation of a series of local news and public affairs specials.
CBS 2’s weekday 11 p.m. newscasts will be anchored by Magers, who has co-anchored the station’s 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts since 2004; and Harvey, who for the past 20 years has served as one of the original anchors of KCAL 9’s primetime news – the first nightly three-hour local newscast in the country. They will be joined by Johnson, who has been KCAL’s primetime weathercaster since 2004; and Hill, who is in his 34th year as a Los Angeles television sports anchor, including 30 years with CBS 2.
Magers and Harvey will also co-anchor the weekday editions of CBS 2 News at 5 p.m.
Johnson, who in January won the Golden Mike Award for Best Weather Segment from the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California, will succeed Johnny Mountain as CBS 2’s weeknight weathercaster. Mountain announced his retirement last month following 32 years on Los Angeles television, including the past five years with CBS 2.
Sharon Tay, who joined CBS 2 and KCAL 9 in 2007, most recently has served as a reporter and weekend anchor for the stations and earlier in her career anchored multiple Emmy-winning newscasts for KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, will succeed Harvey as co-anchor of the weeknight editions of KCAL 9 News at 8 and 10 p.m., joining Rick Garcia.
Josh Rubenstein, who joined KCAL 9 in 1997 and currently serves as the meteorologist on the weekday editions of CBS 2 News at 11 a.m. and KCAL 9 News at Noon, 2, 3 and 4 p.m., will provide KCAL 9’s weeknight weather reports until Johnson’s successor is named.
“We are extremely fortunate to have an abundance of incredibly smart, talented and popular broadcasters on our team,” Mauldin said. “The moves we are making today will allow our best people to become even more successful while also driving ratings growth for both of our stations.”
“I am especially pleased that Laura Diaz has the opportunity to expand her role with us beyond anchoring newscasts and become the centerpiece of a series of new community-oriented specials which she is uniquely qualified to host. It is a show that we are in the early stages of developing with input from Laura, and is programming that belongs on our air as we honor our commitment to being the best of the best when it comes to serving the community,” Mauldin added.