NBC affiliate WFLA, Channel, will expand its "News Channel 8 Today" weekday morning newscast by a half-hour beginning Sept. 20, station officials announced today.
The newscast also will be adding a second anchor to the morning team that includes anchor Rod Carter, traffic reporter Alicia Roberts and meteorologist Leigh Spann.
The expanded morning block of news will begin at 4:30 a.m.
WFLA News Director Don North says there is a growing audience for early morning news. He added that a search is getting under way to find a second morning anchor.
"This is a reflection of changing lifestyles as people are going to bed earlier and getting up
earlier," he says. "A few years ago no one would have thought there was an audience at 5:30 a.m. but now there is."
Carter has been solo as anchor since Gayle Guyardo left in the spring to pursue a career as an independent TV pitchwoman.
North also announced today that reporter Krista Klaus has resigned her job and will leave at the end of August. He said that she is leaving for personal reasons to be closer to her family in Kansas City.
"This is a big loss because she could do it all - anchor, report, write," he said. "She is a major contributor to our multimedia efforts at The News Center, and it will be difficult to find one person to replace her."
Klaus joined WFLA-TV in May 2007 after spending 10 years as a broadcast reporter in Kansas City. Her previous television stations include KMBC-TV and KCTV.
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