Sharon Maines retired from KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock on September 30, 2022 where she served as Daybreak Today anchor and executive producer for 27 years. The legendary news anchor also holds the title of Lubbock’s first female TV news anchor.
"I thank all of you who have been along on this journey with me," Maines said when she first announced her retirement. "There are many of you that even remember when I started and my name was Sharon Hibner."
Back then as Hibner in 1974, while still a Texas Tech University sophomore, Maines was hired by Bill deTournillon Sr. at KLBK Lubbock. Delivering the evening news, she became Lubbock’s first female TV news anchor and eventually news director.
After seven years, Maines moved to KAMC Lubbock as 6pm and 10pm anchor/producer for another seven years.
With another seven year stop at Furr's Supermarkets as consumer affairs specialist and spokesperson, Maines was eventually pulled back into TV news by a familiar name.
In 1995, the son of her former boss, Bill deTournillon Jr., hired Maines at KCBD NewsChannel 11 as morning and noon anchor. She later left the noon news in October 2015 to become the DayBreak Today executive producer.
According to KCBD, "Daybreak Today consistently draws one of the highest audience shares for a respective market seen anywhere in the nation."
"Sharon has been a true pro throughout her career," KCBD Vice President and General Manager Greg McAlister said. "She is dedicated to her craft, takes pride in her writing and presentation, and has been a leader. She’s been a part of mornings for so many, for decades. We’re sad to see leave the anchor desk, but respect her decision to spend more time with her family."
"This is the longest partnership in my career," Steve Divine, Daybreak Today co-anchor and forecaster, said. "We’re told also that as far as a morning team anchor team goes it’s the longest partnership in morning television in the country."
Maines and Divine have sat the KLBK news desk together for the last 23 years.
"Things will definitely be different," Divine added. "We won’t have, again, her experience, her drive to look for those uplifting stories, the stories that will leave the viewer with a much happier feeling."
The South Plains TV legend has many honors including Texas Tech University’s College of Media and Communications Outstanding Alumni 2017. She also served for 12 years on the Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District Board of Trustees.
Maines is married to Kenny Maines who is a musician and former Lubbock County Commissioner. They have two sons.
