ABC News Anchor Team Exits After More Than a Decade On-Air

Acadiana, Louisiana-based local station KATC TV-3 has said goodbye to two of its long-time anchors. On Friday, Sept. 29, Marcelle Fontenot and Jim Hummel signed off for the final time after over a decade of jointly presenting the news together and amid a major shakeup at the station.

"So, what you don't know is, Jim and I have literally sat next to each other for the past 14 years. When he started as a reporter, his desk was next to mine. We still sit next to each other in the news room and sit next to each other at his desk every day, Fontenot said during the pair's final broadcast. Adding that "it has been our pride and joy to come into your homes every evening," Fontenot continued, "we know that what we do is sometimes tough to hear, but we thank you for trusting us enough to come into your homes and tell you about what's happening in your communities, in your lives, every day." Hummel added, "it's been very emotional. But it's been such an honor and such a privilege to hear from so many great people."

What a special day. Thank you all! pic.twitter.com/tYDWzH6c7m

— Jim Hummel (@jimhummel) September 30, 2023

The duo's final Sept. 29 broadcast marked the end of an era for the local station, and closed Fontenot's near 20-year chapter with KATC TV-3. After first interning at the station while attending Southern University, Fontenot joined the broadcaster in 2004. In June 2006, she was named co-anchor of the 6 p.m. newscast and began anchoring the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news programs each weeknight. Hummel joined the station in 2009 as the weekend anchor before moving to weekdays. Fontenot and Hummel have co-anchored the 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. weekday news broadcasts on KATC for more than a decade.

News of Fontenot and Hummel's departures was announced just days before their final broadcast. In separate statements on Sunday, Sept. 24, Fontenot and Hummel informed KATC TV-3 viewers that they would soon be going off the air. In a video shared to her Instagram account, Fontenot told her followers, "just so you know, they're not mad at me, I'm not mad at them." She explained that "life happens. Change is inevitable. This is just one of those things." In his own statement, Hummel said that while he thought he "would be here for two years and then move on," he "soon realized how special this place was – the joie de vivre, food, festivals, culture, music. But above all, the people. I'm so lucky to have found Acadiana." Both Fontenot and Hummel thanked the audience "for trusting me. Thank you for trusting us," with Hummel adding, "Thank you for your trust and friendship over the past 14+ years."

According to The Advocate, Fontenot and Hummel's departures came amid a shakeup at the station. The outlet reported that the station is moving to mostly end its live local evening broadcasts this fall, when it will replace its live news programs at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. with pre-recorded elements, which will be combined with live packages when "Acadiana needs us to be live" and for weather segments, news director Nichole Cyprian confirmed. The station has made similar changes in other markets.