Putting old anchors out to pasture

It happened at KING 5 [Dennis Bounds & Jeff Renner] and at KOMO 4 [Dan Lewis] and it is happening at TV stations everywhere. The old timers are getting pink-slipped. Or as the management likes to report – retiring to spend more time with family. 40 years ago, while living in in Texas, I watched a much younger Dave Ward anchor the KTRK 13 News. He was an anchor equal to Walter Cronkite. A rarity, even back in the day. Now, Dave Ward [pictured] is retiring from KTRK TV/Houston. That is the story from KTRK. Dave Ward tells it a different way.
“They seemed like they really wanted me to make my exit,” said Ward. “I always thought I would continue to anchor the news at Channel 13 until I thought I couldn’t do the job anymore. I’m not there yet. My research is very good, and our ratings are very good. They won’t give me an answer why I’m being taken off the 6 p.m. news.” [Chron.com]
Maybe it was time. Ward has been at KTRK for 50 years!
WSB 2/Atlanta has announced that Justin Wilfon will be joining Wendy Corona to co-anchor the weekend editions of Channel 2 Action News at 6 and 11 p.m. Wilfon comes from KSHB TV/Kansas City and has anchored the morning and noon newscasts for KJRH-TV in Tulsa. He has also anchored at KEPR-TV/Yakima, among other TV anchor/reporter positions….Rachel Calderon, recently from KWTV Oklahoma City, joins the morning team at KIRO 7 News. During her career in TV news, Calderon has also worked at KGWN Cheyenne, KTLA Los Angeles and KOCO TV, also in Oklahoma City…New APD and 2p-6p jock at Rock 98.9 Seattle is Kim Monroe. Her experience includes 107.7 The End…Former KIMA/Yakima TV news reporter Audrey Asistio has been hired by NECN-NBC Boston as an anchor and reporter. Asistio, most recently from KOVR/Sacramento, has also worked at KSEE/Fresno and KHSL-KNVN/Chico…New chief meteorologist at KEVW-KAPP/Kennewick is Kristin Walls from WHAS in Louisville…Former KREM/Spokane meterologist-reporter Katie Boer moves to KLAS Las Vegas as a meteorologist/reporter.