NBC Anchor Reveals Big Change After Becoming ‘a Bit More Absent’ From TV Lately

An NBC anchor is sharing a big update.

After becoming a “bit more absent” from TV lately, Oklahoma’s KFOR anchor John Hayes announced a new chapter at KFOR-TV.

“If you know me, you know how much I love storytelling,” Hayes shared on Facebook on Dec. 2. “It’s been at the heart of every career move I’ve made. From practicing stand-ups with Jacklyn Chappell and Ashley Holden, to learning the ropes in Wichita, to anchoring back home in Tulsa, and now reporting in Oklahoma City. Every step of that journey has shaped who I am. It’s brought me great friends, sources and life lessons.”

Hayes went on to explain that he’s transitioning into a new management role as Executive Producer at KFOR. “I wouldn’t want to leave what I’ve built here without finding a new chapter that has been just as fulfilling (and still keeps me close enough to family),” he said. Hayes stressed he’s “not finished telling stories, just doing my part to lift up others as well; and help make a difference in our newsroom. This transition will also include work on a new digital project I’m hosting for KFOR that I’ll have more on at a later date. Thank you to everyone who’s trusted me with their stories, given me a reference, or stood beside me through long and early/late shifts. I’m so grateful – and I’ll see you around Oklahoma.”

According to his KFOR bio, Hayes earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma. While studying at UCO, he briefly worked at KFOR as a part-time employee. He also worked for another station in town as a full-time associate producer before he took a producer position at that same station.

Hayes previously spent two years working for KAKE in Wichita, where he experienced the aftermath of an EF3 tornado. He also covered high-profile political stories such as the death of former U.S. Senator Bob Doyle and the nation’s first-ever vote on abortion rights following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

He then took a job as a weekend anchor and reporter at KTUL in Tulsa, covering the murders of five teens and a woman, a potential threat to Tulsa Public Schools’ accreditation, and the investigation into the death of Owasso teenager Nex Benedict. Hayes eventually joined KFOR in March 2024, where he will now be an Executive Producer.