KMSP anchor Heidi Collins is no longer with the Minneapolis FOX owned station.

“It has been gratifying to contribute to the success of Fox 9 during these past 3 years,” Collins said in a statement. “However, I have decided to explore new opportunities. It has been entirely my honor to serve the great people and communities in and around Mpls./St. Paul.  Without a doubt, it is my much-appreciated viewers I will miss the most.”

Carol Rueppel, KMSP vice president and general manager said, “We want to thank Heidi for her contributions to the FOX 9 news team and we wish her much success in the future.”

Collins, whose last day on-air was July 29, previously worked at CNN. She started at KMSP in 2010.

Veteran news reporter and anchor Kevin MacDowell has been named senior reporter after being moved off the WICU anchor desk.

“It was time to make the move,” Pam Forsyth, general manager for the Erie, PA, NBC affiliate, told the Erie Times-News. “Kevin is still a respected employee here.”

Despite reports making it sound like MacDowell found out about the move after returning from vacation, Forsyth told TVSpy the switch was discussed before MacDowell’s time off. Read more

Belo has announced Thanh Truong will return to its New Orleans CBS affiliate WWL as an anchor and reporter.

“Thanh is an excellent journalist and a gifted storyteller,” WWL news director Bill Siegel said in a statement. “He has a special connection with Southeast Louisiana and we are lucky to have him back at WWL-TV.”

Truong left NBC news last month after his contract wasn’t renewed. Based in Atlanta, he contributed to “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” “Today,” and MSNBC. Before working at NBC, he worked at KUSA in Denver. He has also worked at WMAZ in Macon, GA, and WWNY in Watertown, NY.

Truong last worked at WWL from 2004 until 2006. He will anchor the Saturday evening news and will also report. His first day will be Wednesday, September 18.

[TVNewsCheck]

KCCI weekend evening anchor Emily Price is leaving the Des Moines, IA, CBS affiliate to become the public information officer for Johnston City, Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register.

“Emily has a background that will help us do a better job of communicating with our citizens,”Johnston City administrator Jim Sanders told the Register.

Price will be the media contact for the city as well as heading up its social media efforts. She started her career at KCCI in February 2002.

Gina Pitisci is adding the 5:30 p.m. newscast to her anchoring duties at WCTV, the CBS affiliate in Tallahassee.

Pitisci joined the station in 2012 as the weekday morning anchor. Since December, she has anchored the 11 p.m. newscast on WCTV and the 10 p.m. newscast on sister station WTLH. In her new role, Pitisci will continue to anchor the 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts.

Pitisci replaces Angela Howard, who left WCTV in June, on the 5:30 p.m. newscast.

KTBC, the Fox O&O in Austin, has named Christine Haas co-anchor of its weekday evening newscasts.

Haas begins in Austin on August 12. She will co-anchor the 5 and 9 p.m. newscasts alongside Mike Warren, replacing Loriana Hernandez, who is moving to the morning newscast.

“Christine is well-respected in this business, winning numerous awards for her reporting. She’s going to be a valuable member of our team and we look forward to her return to Austin,” KTBC vice president and news director Pam Vaught said in a statement.

Haas comes from KNSD in San Diego, where she anchored the 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. newscasts. She has also worked at KHOU in Houston, KVUE in Austin, KARE in Minneapolis, WTSP in Tampa, KTHV in Little Rock and KAMR in Amarillo, Texas.

KTBC’s official announcement is after the jump. Read more

KOKH anchor Wendy Suares has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a non-deadly form of skin cancer, she announced this week on the Oklahoma City Fox affiliate’s morning newscast (video above).

“As journalists, we’re taught not to make ourselves the story, but I wanted to share my experience to bring awareness, taking you from diagnosis to treatment,” she said. Suares, who anchors the morning newscast, is undergoing surgery today.

Univision News correspondent Jorge Viera is joining WXTV, Univision’s flagship station serving New York City, as a reporter and anchor of the 11 p.m. newscast.

Beginning in September, Viera will co-anchor the late evening newscast alongside Adriana Vargas. Rafael Pineda, who has worked as WXTV’s primary anchor since 1972, will continue to co-anchor the 6 p.m. newscast with Vargas.

“We are thrilled to have Jorge join our team.  He has been part of the Univision Family for many years so he brings with him an outstanding record of news reporting for our audience,” news director Norma Morato said in a statement. “His vast experience in journalism will contribute to our commitment to continue to deliver an informative high quality newscast for our viewers in the New York area.”

News of Viera’s hire was first reported by Media Moves and confirmed by WXTV in a press release issued today. Read it after the jump. Read more

KEYT anchor Paula Lopez is speaking out on her public intoxication arrest, admitting she has been in “professional medical treatment for the disease of alcoholism for a number of months.”

“I have dealt with anxiety and depression for many years. Excessive self-medication is a fairly recent phenomenon for me. It has increased over time. I have had substantial periods of abstinence and sobriety,” Lopez said in a statement posted on KEYT’s website. “As can occur in the recovery process, I have also had failures and relapses … Much was written about my prior medical circumstances. All that was released to the media regarding my medical circumstances was true. But it was not complete. That is no longer the case.”

Lopez was arrested Monday for public intoxication hear her Santa Barbara home. Earlier this year, she took several months away from the Santa Barbara ABC affiliate after her family briefly reported her missing.

“I am aware of the recent developments with Paula Lopez but I am unable to comment on any employee’s health or personnel issues.  I will continue to monitor the developments closely, but as I am sure you can understand, I am unable to release any further statements concerning Paula,” KEYT general manager Mark Danielson said in a statement to TVSpy.

Lisa Lyden is returning to the anchor desk at Colorado Springs NBC affiliate KOAA.

Lyden signed off from KOAA in 2012 after 29 years as the station’s primary anchor. At the time, she said she felt it was the right time to “hang up the microphone and spend more time with family.”

Lyden will rejoin the station as anchor of the 5, 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m. newscasts. She will join Rob Quirk and Jennifer Horbelt, who replaced her at the anchor desk last year. In a press release announcing the news, KOAA said the trio will be “the most experienced and successful team in Southern Colorado television.”