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Friday, December 19, 2014

Kaley O’Kelley joins KTVT 11 DFW evenings, Karen Borta to mornings

Some big changes over at Dallas-Fort Worth's KTVT 11 this holiday season. First the news came out that CBS 11 News at 5, 6 and 10 co-anchor Karen Borta will make the move to mornings beginning Monday, Jan. 12. Now we learn that Kaley O’Kelley of KTVK in Phoenix is replacing her.

Here are the CBS 11 KTVT press releases for each move:

Kaley O’Kelley
Kaley O’Kelley
Kaley O’Kelley will co-anchor CBS 11 News at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. with Doug Dunbar beginning in late January.

“Kaley has the rare ability to connect with just about everyone,” said Mike Garber, CBS 11 vice president of news. “Viewers will immediately sense her passion for the community, her strong journalistic skills and her enthusiasm for delivering the news. She has some big shoes to fill, but we are confident that the Dallas-Fort Worth community will soon embrace Kaley and her unique style.”

O’Kelley joins CBS 11 from KTVK in Phoenix, where she has been a morning news anchor and reporter since 2009. Prior to that, she worked at Phoenix’s KNXV as a weather anchor and host. While there, O’Kelley also served as a fill-in weather anchor for Good Morning America Weekend Edition. In addition, she has worked in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Yuma, Ariz. A graduate of Pepperdine University, O’Kelley began her career while still in high school, when she hosted the pilot for a teen television program. She is a member of the Native American Journalists Association, The American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.

"I'm honored to join the CBS 11 team in bringing quality stories that matter to our viewers,” O’Kelley said. “My husband and I have always felt right at home in Texas, whether spending time with family in Dallas-Fort Worth or vacationing in the Hill Country. We're proud to make our home in North Texas and raise our kids here."

Here is the Karen Borta release that was sent earlier this week:

CBS 11 News at 5, 6 and 10 co-anchor Karen Borta will make the move to mornings beginning Monday, Jan. 12.

“North Texans know Karen for her warmth, her wit and her professionalism,” said CBS 11 and TXA 21 President and General Manager Gary Schneider. “Karen knows North Texas. She was born here, grew up here and is raising her family here. We're thrilled to have our viewers start their day with the information they need from someone they know and trust.”

Borta will mark 20 years with CBS 11 in 2015. She joined the station in 1995 from WTVT in Tampa. Prior to that, she worked as an anchor and reporter at KRBK in Sacramento and KCEN in Waco. A native of Arlington, Borta is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a member of the UTA Alumni Association as well as the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Borta has received numerous awards for her work, including regional EMMYs, Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Awards, Press Club of Dallas Katie Awards, the Association of Women Journalists’ Vivian J. Castleberry Award and the UTA Distinguished Alumni Service Award. In addition, she has been honored by several local charitable and civic organizations for her community involvement.

“When I was approached with this opportunity, it seemed almost too good to be true,” Borta said. “Professionally, it’s an exciting challenge which will allow me to spread my wings a bit. But more important to me personally is that this is incredibly awesome for my family life. My three children are now in high school and junior high. This new schedule will finally allow me to do the things that so many people take for granted, such as eating dinner with my family and attending my kids’ weeknight games – all things I often missed when working nights. As parents, we don’t get do-overs, and it means the world to me to be able to fully participate in this part of their lives before they leave the nest. The only difficult part will be not getting to see my nighttime co-workers on a regular basis. I will definitely miss them!”


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