Pittsburgh TV news changes: 2021 hires and departures

Pittsburgh has had its share of television news anchors and reporters coming and going this year.

Here is a look at all moves covered by TV reporter Rob Owen in 2021 (so far):

Departures

● KDKA’s Lynne Hayes-Freeland retired in early November after nearly 4o years on the local TV and radio airwaves.

Read more: Lynne Hayes-Freeland calls it a career

● Morning anchor Kelly Frey, who joined WTAE in 2000, departed the station in early November. During her tenure, she shared her fight against breast cancer and advocated for special needs issues.

Read more: Kelly Frey exits WTAE after two decades

● WPXI reporter Michele Newell, who grew up in Pittsburgh, exited in October for a reporter position in the larger Atlanta TV market.

Read more: WPXI reporter moves up

● WTAE reporter David Kaplan left in August after six years in Pittsburgh. He landed at Fox 5 in Washington D.C.

Read more: Reporter David Kaplan leaving WTAE after 6 years

● Weekend morning anchor Chris Lovingood departed WTAE in July after three years with the station. He joined WRAL in Raleigh, N.C.

Read more: WTAE anchor to depart

● WPXI reporter Aaron Martin left in July so he and his wife could move to Florida to be closer to her family.

Read more: WPXI-TV reporter exits

● Reporter/anchor Paul Martino retired at the end of June after spending 37 years at KDKA. “I love Pittsburgh,” he said, “and I love the viewers and I’m going to spend the rest of my life here — although I may get away in the winter.”

Read more: Paul Martino retires from KDKA-TV

● Anchor Stacy Smith retired from KDKA in late May, ending a 50-year broadcasting career with 38 years spent at KDKA. “They are mixed emotions,” Smith said. “At the same time, you reach a point and think maybe it is time to step away and do something else and I reached that point.”

Read more: After 38 years, Stacy Smith anchors his last KDKA-TV newscast

● Dr. Maria Simbra left KDKA in late May after 19 years as a medical reporter with the station.

Read more: What is going on at KDKA-TV?

● Weekend evening meteorologist Danielle Dozier left WPXI in May after three years with the station. In October, Dozier was named the chief meteorologist for WHNT in Alabama.

Read more: WPXI meteorologist Danielle Dozier exits

● Weekend morning meteorologist Cam Tran, who joined WTAE in May 2017, departed in April for a weather position with WESH in Orlando, Fla.

Read more: Tran leaves WTAE-TV

● WTAE weekend evening anchor/reporter Brittany Hoke said in January she chose to walk away from her “dream job” at Channel 4 in favor of “freedom.” Hoke gave birth to a daughter in October.

Read more: Weekend anchor Brittany Hoke leaves WTAE-TV

Hires

● Erika Stanish, a Western Pennsylvania native, joined KDKA as a full-time freelance reporter in October. She arrives from KOKH in Oklahoma City.

Read more: KDKA adds reporter Erika Stanish

● In October, WPXI added a new reporter, Pete DeLuca (no relation to Channel 11’s Gabriella DeLuca), a suburban Philadelphia native who arrives in Pittsburgh after a two-year stint at WDBJ in Roanoke, Va.

Read more: WPXI adds another reporter

● Kasey Reigner became WTAE’s fifth meteorologist in October, working weekend mornings after arriving from WAND in Decatur, Ill.

Read more: WTAE adds Kasey Reigner as 5th meteorologist

● Ashley Zilka, a former intern at WTAE, joined the station in September as a reporter, coming from KSTP in the Minneapolis market.

Read more: WTAE hires new reporter

● Shelley Bortz, who has been freelancing at WPXI since 2015, moved to KDKA as a full-time reporter in early October.

Read more: Another local TV reporter hopscotches to a rival station

● Reporter Nicole Ford made the in-city jump from KDKA to WPXI in September. Ford had been part-time with KDKA before making the move for a full-time position.

Read more: KDKA reporter Nicole Ford jumps to WPXI

● Weekend morning anchor Tom Garris was hired by WTAE in mid-August from WPTZ in Burlington, Vt.

Read more: Who’s the new WTAE-TV weekend morning anchor?

● WTAE welcomed reporter Kalea Gunderson in August after several years at WSYX in Columbus, Ohio.

● Susan Koeppen, the one-time WTAE anchor who was laid off by KDKA in May 2020, returned to the Pittsburgh airwaves in July as the anchor of WPXI’s 4 p.m. newscast.

Read more: Susan Koeppen returns to anchor new WPXI newscast

● WTAE added Brian Hutton Jr. as the weekend morning meteorologist, starting in April, after arriving from WNCN in Raleigh, N.C.

Read more: WTAE hires meteorologist

● Briana Smith started in March at KDKA, serving as a weekend morning anchor in addition to some reporting during the week. Smith arrived from Spectrum News in Syracuse, N.Y.

Read more: KDKA adds to its news team

● In February, KDKA added reporter Jessica Guay, who had been a morning anchor and reporter for WJAC in Johnstown.

Read more: KDKA adds to its news team

● Reporter Bryant Reed joined KDKA as a reporter in January, arriving from WECT in Wilmington, N.C.

Read more: KDKA adds to its news team