Former WKYC Anchor Romona Robinson Will Join Rival WOIO-WUAB

By Merrill Knox 

Romona Robinson, who left Cleveland’s WKYC in December after negotiations to extend her contract failed, is joining rival WOIO-WUAB.

Robinson spent 15 years at WKYC, which is the market’s NBC-affiliate. She will begin as the afternoon and evening anchor at WOIO-WUAB, CBS and MyNetworkTV affiliates, respectively, on February 2. The move is a homecoming for Robinson, who began her career as an anchor at WUAB.

In a statement announcing her hire, the station called Robinson “one of the most respected journalists in Northeast Ohio.”

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“She’s a dynamic personality,” WOIO-WUAB vice president and general manager Bill Applegate said. “Her years of community involvement have earned a special place in the hearts of Clevelanders. We welcome her with open arms.”

It is not immediately clear who Robinson will be replacing at the station. Newsblues reports that the afternoon and evening newscasts are anchored by Sharon Reed, who is currently on maternity leave. An email to WOIO requesting comment was not immediately returned.

>Update: Both Reed and noon anchor Lynna Lai are leaving the station, according to a staff memo from news director Dan Salamone obtained by TVSpy. “We sincerely appreciate their many contributions to our success, and we wish them well in their future endeavors,” he wrote.

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