An extensive search is underway to fill the open anchor seats at Boston’s WHDH, according to The Boston Globe. The station is testing out in-house talent to fill anchor positions vacated by Frances Rivera, who was the late evening anchor, and Matt Lorch, who was the early evening anchor at the Sunbeam-owned NBC affiliate.
The station has been heavily rotating its normal anchor lineup, switching Anne Allred (left), Amanda Grace, Adam Williams and Sorboni Banerjee between weekday and weekend mornings and evenings to test the talent in a variety of different positions.
“We feel like we have a lot of good options both internally and externally,” WHDH VP-GM Chris Wayland told The Globe. He said the station is looking at a variety of factors, including viewer feedback, focus group data and on-air chemistry with Kim Khazei, who currently anchors the evening broadcast.
Rivera and Lorch both announced their departure this month — Rivera on July 14 and Lorch on July 21. Rivera will join New York City’s WPIX, while Lorch will head west to join KCPQ in Seattle.