Anusha Roy, the North Idaho reporter for KXLY, the Spokane, WA, ABC affiliate, has left the station.

Roy’s departure follows those of Mike Gonzalez and sports director Ben Kaplan, making her the third on-air personality to leave the station in the last two weeks.

KXLY news director Jerry Post told TVSpy, “Anusha chose to leave. She gave her notice a couple months ago.  We are in the process of hiring her replacement.” Read more

KXLY has cut a second anchor from its lineup. Sports director Ben Kaplan is the latest to get the ax from the ABC affiliate for Spokane, WA.

“We’re restructuring the sports staff between our TV & radio properties, as we also own the local ESPN radio affiliate,” news director Jerry Post told TVSPy. “Ben has done a tremendous job for us as Sports Director, but this move made the best strategic and financial sense going forward.”

This week, evening anchor Mike Gonzalez was also let go from KXLY in what looks to be a round of cost cutting moves.

Post told TVSpy the station was looking to Dennis Patchin to lead the sports team for both KXLY and ESPN radio affiliate KXLX.

Kaplan joined KXLY from WWSB in Sarasota, FL.  He started his career with KFBB in Great Falls, MT.

Mike Gonzalez, co-anchor for KXLY, the ABC affiliate for Spokane, WA, is no longer with the station.

Jerry Post, the KXLY news director, told TVSpy the station was going with a single anchor for the 5 and 6 p.m. news. “I can’t comment on Mike’s departure, other than to say he’s a great guy with a bright future ahead. Looking ahead, we feel very comfortable with Nadine Woodward as our main anchor, so there are no plans to replace Mike.”

Gonzalez, who was also the host of KXLY’s Latin cultural and cooking show, “En La Cocina,” came to the station from Omaha, NE where he was an anchor and reporter.  He previously worked at KOLN-KGIN in Lincoln, NE and KOMU in Columbia, MO.

KCBS-KCAL reporter Kirk Hawkins is leaving Los Angeles for an anchoring job at WCCB, the Fox-affiliate in Charlotte.

Hawkins has been with KCBS-KCAL since 2008.  His last day is Friday and he’s set to start at WCCB at the end of the month.

Before joining KCBS-KCAL, Hawkins worked at WFTV in Orlando, KXLY in Spokane, and KCOY in Santa Barbara.

Hawkins will anchor WCCB’s weekend evening newscasts.

“I’m really excited to join the team at Fox Charlotte,” Hawkins said.

KXLY, the Spokane ABC affiliate, is making some in-house changes to their talent lineup this fall: the morning team is going to evenings and the evening team is going to mornings.

Beginning September 12, Nadine Woodward and Mike Gonzalez — currently the station’s morning anchors — will take over the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. newscasts. That same day, Robyn Nance (pictured) and Derek Deis will debut as the morning anchor team for the station. Nance is currently the anchor of the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. newscasts; Deis is currently the KXLY sports director.

“This move is going to be great for everyone involved,” Nance said in a statement. “Mike and Nadine work so well together and Nadine is really at home in the evenings. I also feel so comfortable with the morning news. It’s where I got my start and I love the idea of helping people get their day started.”

Debra Gilbert Wilde, a former Spokane anchor, became the subject of news over the weekend when she drove her SUV into a creek and had to be rescued by a police dive team.

Wilde, who worked for KHQ and KXLY from 1980 to 2007, somehow lost control of her vehicle on Sunday afternoon, driving the Jeep Cherokee over a guardrail, down a 20-foot embankment and then 60 yards into the frigid water of Latah Creek, near Spokane.

Firefighters reached Wilde first and secured the vehicle from moving further downstream. The water rescue team eventually removed Wilde from the car and swam her back to safety.

Wilde, 60, received treatment for hypothermia at a nearby hospital and was eventually arrested for a DWI.