KATC evening anchor Hoyt Harris will deliver his final newscast Sunday night after more than three decades in the television news broadcasting business.
KATC evening anchor Hoyt Harris will deliver his final newscast Sunday night after more than three decades in the television news broadcasting business. TV3 announced Harris' retirement in a press release Tuesday afternoon. The congenial co-host of the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts (and until recently the 10 p.m. newscast) has logged more than 17,000 newscasts during a 34-year career that began in Huntsville, Ala. The Tennessee native also worked in Asheville, NC, before a long stint at KLFY, the CBS affiliate in Lafayette. Harris vacated the news business for several years and taught communications classes at UL and the University of Paris before accepting the anchor position at KATC in 2003.
"I have believed for many years that a career in news is one of the greatest forces for continuing education," Harris says in the Tuesday press release. "I was raised by parents who taught me that education is everything, so I guess for that reason alone I entered the right field. Now is the right time for me to say so long' to this business, to the truly generous, loving people of Acadiana who welcomed me and my family from day one, and to my wonderful family of colleagues at KATC."
Hoyt and his wife, Bette, plan to remain in Acadiana as Harris pours more time into his longtime goal of writing a book.
[And a Personal Note: I had the pleasure of working with Hoyt for about five years as executive news producer at KATC, a job I held before coming to the The Ind in 2009. During that time I developed a respect for Hoyt's impeccable broadcasting skills and keen nose for news, and I also developed a friendship that continues to this day, although my interactions with one of the best, most urbane and wittiest conversationalists I know are less frequent than I'd like. Best of luck, Hoyt. - Walter]