Earlier this week, news broke that news director Michael Fabac had abruptly departed KXAN after five years with the Austin NBC-affiliate. Now, Austin360 reports that the station is facing a pair of lawsuits: one for racial discrimination and one for libel.

The discrimination suit was brought by meteorologist Rhonda Lee (right), who says she was let go last August after being “repeatedly subjected to crude and insensitive remarks about her race.”

The libel suit was filed by a producer of the Austin Women’s Expo over a KXAN investigative report that alleged that the expo bilked sponsors out of promised advertising opportunities. Read more

Chad Matthews has been hired as assistant news director at WTVJ, a spokesperson for the station confirmed to TVSpy today.

Matthews joins the Miami NBC O&O from WABC, the ABC O&O in New York City, where he is a senior executive producer. WABC is a powerhouse in the New York City market: in the just-finished May sweeps period, the station’s newscasts won in every time slot but one, according to our sister site FishbowlNY.

“By recruiting someone with Chad Matthews’ skills and experience, we continue to position the NBC 6 News Team for growth,” WTVJ vice president of news Migdalia Figueroa told TVSpy. “Chad will work with us to continue improving our content and ratings performance and will play a key role in our all-new investigative unit.” Read more

Blake Hanson has joined WDSU, the NBC-affiliate in New Orleans.

Hanson comes from KOMU in Columbia, MO, where he has been a reporter, morning fill-in anchor and producer since 2008. During his time in Columbia, he also reported for Newsy.com and several local radio stations.

Hanson will be a reporter for WDSU’s morning newscast. His first day at the station is today.

John Schriffen is joining ABC News as a New York-based correspondent, president Ben Sherwood announced today.

Schriffen most recently was a freelance reporter for WCBS, the CBS O&O in New York City. Prior to that, he was a general assignment reporter at WRC, the NBC O&O in Washington, DC, for three years. He started his television career in New York City as a reporter for News 12 The Bronx.

“John brings great energy, creativity and competitiveness to his journalism and will report for all of our platforms,” Sherwood wrote in a memo to ABC News staffers this morning. “Please join me in welcoming him aboard.”

After a series of missteps and false starts, Detroit independent station WADL has decided to scrap its 9 p.m. newscast.

“WADL is moving in a new direction, and the news programming will not be a part of its new format,” CEO Kevin Adell announced this week. “I want to personally thank everyone who helped us test the ‘News@9′ segment.”

In January, WADL launched a 9 p.m. newscast produced in partnership with Journal Register Newspapers and began building out a local news operation. But the station’s shot at local news quickly became mired in controversy and in-fighting. Read more

Len Jennings, who will join KMBC in Kansas City this summer, signed off from Fort Myers NBC-affiliate WBBH last night.

The station called on past and present staffers, as well as a few surprise guests from NBC News, for a final sendoff to Jennings, who has been with WBBH-WZVN since 2001.

“You’ve taught me so much about being a class act, a nice guy, humble. I haven’t actually tried any of those things for myself yet, but you did teach me,” WBBH anchor Patrick Nolan joked.

“From all of us here at the mother ship, NBC News headquarters in New York, we want to wish you all the best as you leave our Southwest Florida family,” “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams said. Video inside… Read more

Longtime KSL anchor Bruce Lindsay ended his 38-year broadcasting career on Wednesday, anchoring the Salt Lake City NBC-affiliate’s 10 p.m. newscast for the last time.

“Like so much of the news, life is filled with beginnings and endings, and changes in between, and I’m very lucky because even this ending is sweet,” Lindsay told viewers on Wednesday, as he signed off for the final time. “I’m indebted to KSL for fulfilling so many of my dreams, on its dime.”

Lindsay, 61, will be heading to Australia this summer on a Mormon mission, along with his wife and son. Read more

ABC’s David Muir brought his “Made in America” series on the road yesterday, hosting an event at the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce with WPVI anchor Brian Taff.

Muir, the weekend anchor of “ABC World News,” joined Taff, who anchors the 4 p.m. newscast on the ABC O&O, to talk about the series, which showcases American manufacturing and the ordinary things that can be done to create jobs in the U.S.

Muir and Taff talked about two Pennsylvania-based companies — Nth Solutions and Sun and Earth — that are expanding their workforces. Read more

“It’s the time we all knew would come but didn’t want to think about,” WBNS anchor Jerry Revish told viewers during the CBS-affiliate’s 11 p.m. newscast on Wednesday. “It’s time to say ‘thank you’ one last time to Andrea Cambern for her service to 10TV and Central Ohio.”

Last October, Cambern announced that she would be leaving WBNS after more than 20 years behind the anchor desk. With the May book coming to an end, she bid farewell to her longtime home this week. Read more

Michelle Esteban, a reporter and fill-in anchor at KOMO for over a decade, has been promoted to weekend anchor at the Seattle ABC-affiliate.

A longtime member of KOMO’s investigative team, Esteban began anchoring the station’s weekend morning newscasts at the beginning of the year, and recently moved to the weekend 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts.

“It feels like I’m Cinderella and the slipper fits perfectly,” Esteban said about the move.  “KOMO is a great station with a long history.  It’s a privilege to be here, to be partnered with a super talented co-anchor, John Discepolo, and an ever-supportive crew.” Read more