Don Dahler, who was displaced from the WCBS 6 p.m. broadcast this week when Chris Wragge returned to the station after nine months on “The Early Show,” will continue as the morning and evening weekend anchor at the CBS owned-and-operated station.
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Don that will keep him at CBS 2,” president and general manager Peter Dunn said in a statement. “We look forward to having him continue to play an important role for us.”
Beginning this weekend, Dahler will be paired with Cindy Hsu to anchor the station’s weekend morning newscasts. He will anchor the weekend evening newscasts solo, and he will also contribute to the weekday newscasts as a reporter.
Read the full release from WCBS after the jump.
DON DAHLER NAMED ANCHOR OF CBS 2
WEEKEND MORNING AND EVENING NEWSCASTS
Award-Winning Broadcaster Will Also Serve as Reporter During Weekday Newscasts
New York – Don Dahler has been named anchor of CBS 2 New York’s weekend morning and evening newscasts, beginning September 10, it was announced by Peter Dunn, President, CBS Television Stations, and President and General Manager, WCBS-TV.
Dahler, who previously served as co-anchor of the station’s weekday 6 p.m. newscasts, will partner with Cindy Hsu to co-anchor the station’s weekend morning newscasts. He will also solo anchor CBS 2’s weekend evening newscasts. Additionally, both Dahler and Hsu will serve as reporters during weekday newscasts.
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Don that will keep him at CBS 2,” Dunn said. “Don’s work during our coverage of Hurricane Irene is the most recent example of his outstanding ability to report live, breaking news events in a calm and professional way that our viewers really appreciate. We look forward to having him continue to play an important role for us.”
“Don is one of the most knowledgeable and respected broadcast journalists in New York and we are thrilled that we will be able to continue to have him behind the anchor desk and in the field reporting on stories of great interest to our viewers,” added David Friend, Senior Vice President, News, CBS Television Stations, and News Director, CBS 2.
Since joining CBS 2 in September 2007, Dahler has covered numerous major news events, ranging from the ongoing economic crisis, the Miracle on the Hudson and Hurricane Irene.
Previously, he served as a correspondent and anchor for ABC News, where he provided national and international news reports for all ABC News programs, including reports on the war in Kosovo, the school shootings at Columbine, the Oklahoma City tornadoes, and the presidential election recounts.
Ten years ago on September 11, Dahler was the first network correspondent to report live from the scene of the World Trade Center attacks and continued reporting from Ground Zero through the following two weeks of rescue and recovery attempts. He was also among the first American journalists to enter Afghanistan prior to U.S. military action against the Taliban regime. He filed live reports around the clock on the weeklong siege of Konduz. In 2002, Dahler along with his producer and camera crew slipped across the Syrian border into northern Iraq for a series of exclusive reports on the Kurds. He also covered the war in Iraq as an embedded journalist, first during the initial invasion with the 101st Airborne, traveling and living with the Army soldiers, going on foot-patrols and aerial assaults alongside the front-line troops, and later with other Army and Marine units.
Prior to ABC News, Dahler served as a correspondent for NBC News, where he was assigned to CNBC’s West Coast bureaus. He provided reports on the business of the sports and entertainment industries for the magazine show “Business Center.” In addition, he covered breaking news and provided live reports for CNBC’s daytime news programs.
Before that, Dahler worked as a general assignment reporter for Fox News Channel in New York, where he did investigative pieces and covered national news events.
Prior to becoming an on-air correspondent, Dahler was a producer for 48 HOURS at CBS News. Before that, Dahler had his own production company where he produced, wrote and hosted documentaries, nature films and syndicated specials. He started his career as a reporter for WGHP-TV in High Point, North Carolina.
Dahler is the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Emmy Award for News and Documentary, a CINE Golden Eagle, and a bronze medal from the New York Film and TV Festival. He was also a vital part of ABC News’ 2001 Peabody and Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University award-winning coverage of 9/11.
Dahler graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He is the author of the mystery novels “A Tight Lie” and “Water Hazard” (St. Martin’s Minotaur) which are set in the world of professional golf.
He resides in New Jersey with his wife and children.