Michael Estime is back on air at Lexington ABC affiliate WTVQ.
Estime told viewers in June he had a vocal cord cyst that needed to be removed. He switched from working the morning news to weekends to lighten the load on his voice.
On the station’s Facebook page he wrote, “After weeks of intensive post-surgical speech therapy, my doctors have given me permission to *gradually* rejoin the ABC 36 family on-air! My medical team, along with my supportive management team at ABC 36, has put together a plan to slowly but steadily increase my on-air talk-time. As my speech therapist put it, a marathon runner who breaks their leg needs to rehabilitate with walking and light jogging before running another marathon.”
This weekend he told newscast viewers, “It’s so wonderful to be back with you here on a Saturday.”
He said he would eventually return to mornings once his doctors and speech pathologists feel his vocal cords can take it.