Changing Channels: Lafayette Radio Announcer Going to New Orleans

For the first time since the "Changing Channels" series began last year, we have a radio move to report. More on that in just a little bit, but first, let's take a look at the latest moves on the local TV front. It's time for the latest edition of "Changing Channels."

KLFY Anchors Making Moves

As we reported last month, Caroline Marcello jumped from the KLFY news department to the sales side of the building. Caroline went public with the news through a Facebook post and an on-air message.

Since then, Channel 10 has been rotating anchors into the vacant anchor chair. Last week, the station's longtime sports director, George Faust, sat in the chair.

This week, reporter Danielle Johnson co-anchored with Sylvia Masters.

Danielle is an Abbeville native and UL graduate who started her career working in the production department at KATC. She jumped to KLFY when they offered her a reporter position in 2020.

The weekend anchor chair is also vacant.

Mark Rigsby left the station in early June to take an anchor position at KSWO-TV in Lawton, Oklahoma. Monday was his first day on air there.

KATC Seeking Another Executive Producer

Just a few months after hiring an executive news producer, KATC is once again hiring for the position. Victor Hollingsworth left the station in May after working as Good Morning Acadiana's EP for two months. In addition, the station is hiring for three other positions: newscast director, digital content producer, and multimedia journalist.

KATC Behind-the-Scenes Veteran Retires

You don't know his name, but he's been responsible for putting programs on your TV for more than four decades.

Tom Coleman retired from KATC on Wednesday, June 15. Coleman spent 44 years working at Channel 3. He started as a member of the station's production staff, working cameras and performing other duties during the station's newscasts. He eventually moved into master control, a position he held for nearly three decades. As a master control operator, Coleman literally put commercials, network shows, and local programming on the air.

More than that, Mr. Tom is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Quick with a smile and a kind word, he's a friend of everyone who ever walked through the halls at 1103 Eraste Landry.

Congratulations, Mr. Tom! Hope you get a chance to hunt and fish to your heart's content.

Ian Auzenne Going to New Orleans

The man who has brought you these "Changing Channels" pieces for the last year is himself changing channels.

Ian Auzenne is leaving Townsquare Media after 12 years working in the building. Ian's headed to WWL-AM/FM, where he'll be anchoring the news. It'll also put him in New Orleans fulltime with his fiancée, Dawn, known on the air as the "Atomic Blonde."

For the last year-and-a-half, he's been one half of the "Acadiana's Morning News" duo with me on KPEL. Before that, he was a weekend DJ on 97.3 the Dawg, host of "The Au-Zone" on ESPN Lafayette, and has filled in regularly on KTDY. He's also handled sports duties for us, broadcasting high school football and UL sports over our airwaves.

Before that, he worked for 10 years as a TV producer at KLFY and at KATC, serving as the executive producer at KATC for five years before jumping into radio full-time.

Ian will still be around on occasion. He'll continue to call high school football and UL sports for our stations.

"Someone texted me and asked if I'd write a 'Changing Channels' story about myself," Ian told me. "Seriously, though, it's been a great ride. I'm forever grateful for the opportunities I've had."

And Finally . . .

We close this edition of "Changing Channels" with two clips. The first is the 1980 Lafayette mayoral candidates' debate that aired on KADN. The other is KLFY's coverage of Beau Chêne High School's opening in 1991, including an edition of MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR with Jim Olivier and Joan Frederick.