Joe Arena will replace the departing Todd McDermott on WPXI‘s morning news.

“We’re excited to welcome Joe to the Channel 11 News team,” said vice president and general manager Ray Carter in a statement provided to TVSpy. “Replacing someone as talented as Todd McDermott isn’t easy, but I think viewers will find Joe to be warm and engaging and a good fit with co-anchor Jennifer Abney.”

Arena’s first day for WPXI will be Monday October 22.  He will anchor both the morning and noon news.  McDermott, who will be leaving the Pittsburgh NBC affiliate Friday to be closer to his daughter, will take on his new role as evening anchor for WPBF in West Palm Beach.

McDermott may be best known for reporting a spoof story posted on BroCouncil.com saying Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward had been traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

Arena comes from Buffalo’s WVIB.  Previously he worked in Shreveport, LA, Washington, D.C., and Bluefield, WV.

[TVNewsCheck]

NFL fans watching WPXI yesterday morning were surprised to hear anchor Todd McDermott report that Hines Ward, a receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, had signed with the rival Baltimore Ravens.

“We’re a little in shock,” McDermott told co-anchor Jennifer Abney.

McDermott was right to be in shock, because the news — which originated from BroCouncil.com — was not true. In a spoof report, the website said Ward had signed an “incentive-laden 3-year $9 million contract;” the article quoted Ward as saying, “I viciously tried to block this release like I have viciously blocked the Ravens for so many years.”

McDermott corrected himself on the air just 17 minutes later, saying, “We got fooled by a Baltimore Ravens spoof website that said Hines Ward had signed with the Ravens. That can’t happen.” Read more