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Blowing in from Orlando: CBS11 hires new 10 p.m. weathercaster


Larry Mowry in, Kristine Kahanek out on CBS11's 10 p.m. newscasts.

By ED BARK

CBS11 will have a new featured temperature taker in January as part of a station shuffle that also will further diminish the on-air visibility of anchor Tracy Rowlett.

The station has hired Orlando, FL weatherman Larry Mowry as its new 10 p.m. forecaster, with incumbent Kristine Kahanek shifting to the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts, president and general manager Steve Mauldin announced early Tuesday evening. Kahanek, formerly of Belo8, has been with CBS11 since 2002.

Rowlett, also a Belo8 alum, stepped down from the station's 10 p.m. newscasts earlier this year, and was replaced by Doug Dunbar. As of January, Dunbar also will co-anchor the 6 p.m. newscasts with holdover Karen Borta.

Rowlett, who had planned to retire in July, will continue to co-anchor CBS11's 5 p.m. newscasts as well as contribute his weekly Sunday night "Perspectives" feature. The CBS11 announcement says that Rowlett, who joined the station in 1999, also will "expand his role in producing special reports."

Mauldin said he hopes to keep Rowlett at CBS11 beyond July and "well into the future. His value is immeasurable."

Rowlett is still considering that option, which would require a salary reduction. He had been a mainstay of Belo8's newscasts for 25 years before changing stations at the same time CBS bought Ch. 11.

Mowry also has worked at WLS-TV in Chicago and WSBT-TV in South Bend. He lately has been the early morning weathercaster at Orlando's WKMG-TV, a CBS affiliate.