WVLA names Burns primary news anchor
Veteran Baton Rouge broadcaster Jeanne Burns is the new primary news anchor at WVLA-Channel 33 (cable Channel 3).
Starting Friday, Burns will anchor “NBC33 News” at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. each weekday.
Most recently, Burns was co-anchor of WAFB-Channel 9’s morning show, “9 News This Morning.” She has spent the last year taking care of her children full-time, according to a news release from WVLA, the local NBC affiliate.
“Jeanne (Burns) is replacing Tammi Arender, who is now pursuing other interests,” David D’Aquin, news director and operations manager for WVLA owner Knight Broadcasting of Baton Rouge, Inc., said via email Wednesday.
Arender, also a local news veteran, said Wednesday that she decided not to renew her contract with the station because of an opportunity to work with local company Launch Media on visual corporate communications pieces and video news releases. Launch also has offices in New Orleans and Charlotte, NC.
“I also wanted the chance to continue my freelance work with the locally produced motorcycle travel show, ‘LaRider.’”
In addition, Arender said, she will travel to Nashville to do freelance work there, and will continue to do voice-over work and a radio show for Salem Music Network, a Christian music network. She’s been doing that work for Salem Music for about seven years from a small audio studio in her home, she said.