KCBS anchor Laura Diaz leaves station, KCAL’s Rick Garcia promoted
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Veteran KCBS Channel 2 anchor Laura Diaz, who was once one of the station’s most prominent news figures, is leaving the station to produce her own projects.
The station also announced that Rick Garcia, who is co-anchor of KCBS’ sister station KCAL’s 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, will replace Diaz for KCBS’ 6 p.m. newscast. Diaz had anchored that newscast since last year, when she was replaced on the 5 p.m and 11 p.m. news by Pat Harvey.
Diaz’s last broadcast will be an ‘Eye on the Community’ special at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Diaz joined KCBS as its most prominent anchor in August 2002 after spending more than two decades at KABC ‘Eyewitness News.’ When she was hired, the station staged a high-profile promotional campaign, placing Diaz’s face on billboards, bus placards and posters.
Her hiring at the time was seen as a strategy to reverse the fortunes of KCBS, which traditionally trailed rivals KABC and KNBC. Then General Manager Don Corsini called Diaz ‘the cornerstone’ of KCBS’ merger with sister station KCAL Channel 9.
Some of the promotional material was in Spanish, marking the first time that an English-language station targeted Latino viewers.
ALSO:
Golden Globes to air on NBC in 2012
Dr. Phil to switch places with Judge Judy on KCBS
Stephen Colbert praises Rick Perry’s execution record
— Greg Braxton
