Former charter KDAF-TV news director Anthony Maisel finds new news home in Texoma

By ED BARK
Anthony Maisel, who launched Dallas-based KDAF-TV's (Ch. 33) inaugural prime-time newscast in 1998, has been named the first full-time news director at CBS/Fox's Texoma area station, KXII-TV.

"Sometimes things work out when you least expect it to happen," Maisel said in an email Tuesday to unclebarky.com. "I wanted to say in Texas, near family, and now I get the opportunity."

KXII services both Texas and Oklahoma, reaching Ada, Ardmore, Durant, Sherman, Denison and Gainesville.

Maisel resigned from KDAF in September 2007 after it became known as CW33.

"Never bury the lead," he said in a memo to staffers. "I'm leaving because it is time, and there are no other reasons."

As news director, Maisel hired the entire WB33 News At Nine startup staff.

"I still have 15 people here from then," he said when announcing his resignation. Most of them since have resigned or been let go by current CW33 news director David Duitch, who succeeded Maisel's replacement, Mark Shepherd, in the summer of 2008.

After leaving CW33, Maisel battled serious "back issues" that kept him on the shelf for a while, he said.

He also tried to keep his hand in the TV news business. "I have turned down jobs and didn't get some I applied for," Maisel said. "And now I'm so pleased to be working for a very good general manager and a company like Gray Broadcasting (the Atlanta-based company that owns 35 TV stations besides KXII). It's going to be a great experience and maybe I can pass on what I know about news."

TXII vice president and general manager Rick Dean noted in a news release that the station's news director also used to double as its primary news anchor.

"It was time to go to the next level," he said, "and Maisel has a great deal of experience in news."

Maisel's first day at KXII will be Dec. 6th. He and his wife, Robin, are the parents of five children.