Former Pittsburgh TV News Anchor Hired By Local Station

PITTSBURGH, PA — WPXI-TV will launch a 4 p.m. newscast in September and has hired a familiar face to be its anchor. Former KDKA-TV anchor Susan Koeppen will be in front of the cameras when the newscast debuts on Sept. 13.

Koeppen and Rick Dayton formerly co-anchored KDKA's morning newscast. Both were laid off last year. Dayton is now an afternoon talk show host on KDKA-AM.

“We have a great team of experienced, dedicated journalists in our newsroom, so adding someone of Susan’s caliber will only make us better,” Channel 11 News Director Scott Trabandt said in a post on the station's website.

“Her passion for telling stories and her love for Western Pennsylvania is immediately evident. There’s no question why she has been so successful in this market to this point and we’re excited for her to join the Channel 11 team.”

Before her KDKA stint, Koeppen was a CBS news consumer correspondent for CBS News. She has won 9 Emmys along with other awards during her career.

“This is a great opportunity with a great team of people and I could not be more thrilled to help launch the new 4 p.m. newscast at WPXI,” Koeppen said. “It’s a perfect partnership and I jumped at the chance to be part of this new venture.”

WPXI's decision to air the new newscast coincides with the impending end of Judge Judy's show, which currently runs in the 4 p.m. hour. It also follows WTAE's recent debut of a 4 p.m. news program; KDKA has had news in that time slot for more than a decade.

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