Chris Willis is headed to Portland, OR, NBC affiliate KGW.

KGW news director Richard Jacobs told TVSpy, Willis will start sometime in early July.

Earlier this week we told you about reports of Willis leaving Austin NBC affiliate KXAN. He had worked at the station since 1999, leaving the morning anchor desk in 2011 to become the station’s chief investigative reporter.

Investigative reporter Chris Willis has parted ways with Austin NBC affiliate KXAN, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Willis has worked at KXAN since 1999. In 2011, he left the morning anchor desk to become a full-time investigative reporter.

Willis’ bio has been stripped from the KXAN website. The American-Statesman reports the station has not commented on his departure.

Austin NBC affiliate KXAN is shuffling anchors for the morning newscasts, according to Gary Dinges at the Austin American-Statesman.

Brian Sanders (pictured), who currently anchors weekend mornings, is moving to weekdays. He replaces Robert Maxwell, who will move to sister station KNVA, Austin’s CW affiliate, as anchor of the 9 p.m. newscast. Maxwell joined KXAN in February from KTVX in Salt Lake City.

“I am excited to connect with our growing evening news audience,” Maxwell said in a statement. “I know there are many stories, both significant and relevant to Central Texans that we’ll be investigating in the coming months. And I’m proud to play a role in that process with the talented and dedicated team at KXAN and CW Austin.” Read more

KXAN has hired a new news director.

Chad Cross, who has been the news director at KWCH in Wichita since 2008, is joining the Austin NBC-affiliate.  He replaces Michael Fabac, who departed KXAN in May after five years leading the station’s newsroom.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Cross joined KWCH in 2002.  Cross worked as a reporter, anchor, producer, and assignment editor there before being named news director.

As Austin media blogger Jim McNabb points out, Cross is much younger than many of the people he will manage at KXAN.

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

Michael Fabac is out as news director at KXAN in Austin.

Although KXAN general manager Eric Lassberg was not immediately available for comment, Austin360 confirmed with newsroom staffers today that Fabac’s five-year tenure as the NBC-affiliate’s news director has come to an end.

Fabac’s departure comes a month after Austin media blogger Jim McNabb reported that newsroom morale was slipping amid the departures of a handful of reporters.

A tipster emailed this afternoon to report that “many in the newsroom are headed for celebratory drinks this evening.” Read more

WFTS weekend morning anchor Ellen McNamara has left the Tampa ABC-affiliate for a Monday-Friday anchor-reporter job at KSTP in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

McNamara began her broadcasting career with CBS-affiliate KLBK in Lubbock, TX.  After a stint with KXAN in Austin, she joined WFTS in April 2009.

McNamara is the daughter of longtime CBS News correspondent Bob McNamara and her family has strong ties to the Twin Cities. Her parents met in Minnesota and her dad worked at local CBS-affiliate WCCO before joining CBS News.

“Although I’ve never lived there, my family has strong ties to the area,” McNamara said, mentioning that her sister currently lives in Minnesota. “I’m very excited.” Read more

Michelle Valles has been hired as weekend morning co-anchor at KNBC, the NBC O&O in Los Angeles.

Valles most recently lived in Austin, where she anchored on KXAN from 2003-08 and on KEYE from 2008-10. For the past two years, she has been acting, appearing in musicals and writing for a local magazine, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

“Her experience as a broadcast journalist, along with her energy, wit and creativity, will greatly contribute to our newscast,” KNBC president Steve Carlston said in a statement announcing Valles’ hire. Read more

Following a months-long audition, Brian Sanders has been named permanent weekend morning anchor at KXAN.

In taking on the new role, Sanders, who has been with the Austin NBC-affiliate since 2006, will leave behind his previous post as weekend sports anchor.

“For the longevity of my career, I felt it was best to switch to news,” Sanders told The Listening Post. “Local TV sports is a tough business.  Several markets have stations that have downsized their sports departments.”

A Houston native, Sanders began his broadcasting career at KSAN in San Angelo, TX.

Austin NBC-affiliate KXAN introduced Robert Maxwell to viewers this morning, announcing that Maxwell would join the morning anchor desk on March 12.

Maxwell comes to KXAN from KTVX in Salt Lake City, where he served as the station’s primary evening anchor.  In addition to co-anchoring KXAN’s morning newscast, Maxwell will work as an investigative reporter.

“I’m pleased to welcome a journalist of Robert’s caliber to the KXAN team,” KXAN news director Michael Fabac said this week.  “Robert’s personality will help engage the a.m. news audience and serve as a terrific compliment to anchor Sally Hernandez.” Read more