It’s official: Shiba Russell is headed to WNBC next week. According to the New York Daily News, Russell will anchor weekend newscasts at the station.
WNBC has been in the midst of a transition for years. After an extensive overhaul of its news operations throughout 2008 and 2009, of which yielded a 24-hour news channel on its digital sub channel and a hastily done rebranding, WNBC has seen its ratings remain flat in a market that is anything but.
The real surprise to this move is that the rumormill has been hard at work with stories of Russell moving up at 4 before she even begins. Sue Simmons, the main anchor at WNBC for over three decades, has been working a reduced schedule after undergoing back surgery. Rumors began swirling after Simmons had been temporarily bumped to anchoring only at 11. Simmons, however, is not Russell’s target. “I’m not here to replace Sue Simmons,” she says. “I’m here to be me. I can’t predict the future. I do know I’m going to work my tail off, I’m going to tell great stories, and if it leads to more opportunities, that would be great.”
Shiba Russell begins reporting at WNBC next Monday.
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