Veteran Phoenix television anchor Kent Dana out at Channel 5

By Nick R. Martin | June 17th, 2009 | 5:11 pm | No Comments »

The dean of Phoenix television news, Kent Dana, will leave his post as lead anchor of the local CBS affiliate, KPHO-TV (Channel 5), later this year, says a new report on examiner.com. Dana has been a veteran of Valley television for more than 30 years but will hand the job over to fellow newsman Sean McLaughlin in late September or early October, reports journalist Scott Davis on the Examiner website.

Dana has been at KPHO since 2004 after he was asked to step down from his longtime post as head anchor of Phoenix’s NBC affiliate, KPNX-TV (Channel 12), where his son, Joe Dana, still works as a reporter. KPHO’s general manager told Davis this departure was a mutual decision. “He’s leaving on terrific terms,” said the station’s GM, Ed Munson.