A new co-anchor will join ABC Action News on WFTS, Channel 28, this summer, station officials announced today.
Jamison Uhler, 34, who is an anchor/reporter at WCAU-TV, the NBC-owned station in Philadelphia, has been hired to co-anchor the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, according to ABC Action News Vice President and General Manager Rich Pegram.
The addition of Uhler frees up veteran WFTS anchor Brendan McLaughlin to do more reporting and have nights off for the first time in his career, says ABC Action News Director Doug Culver.
McLaughlin has anchored the evening newscasts since the station launched news coverage in 1994. He will remain on the 5:30 and 6 p.m. news, Culver said.
"Brendan is excited for two reasons," Culver said. "He has worked nights for years even before he joined us and with an election year coming up he will be able to develop more political stories."
Culver said Uhler's debut here has not been determined but he is expected to join the station in June.
"He has been in Philadelphia for four years but he is coming back to Florida," Culver said. "He used to be a reporter at WFTV in Orlando and covered many stories in the Tampa area.
Uhler, an Emmy-winning reporter, covered the Terri Schiavo case and the search for kidnap victim Jessica Lunsford. He is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
"We are proud to add a journalist of this caliber to our outstanding anchor team," said Pegram. "Jamison's experience and commitment to quality local news will help us grow as the station dedicated to 'Taking Action for You'."
Uhler will co-anchor with Wendy Ryan and Linda Hurtado on the newscasts.
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