VETERAN Ch. 7 anchor Robb Hanrahan is looking for a new job at another local station – despite having about two years remaining on his contract at the ABC-owned station.
Hanrahan, who anchors Ch. 7’s 5 p.m. newscast with Roz Abrams, has been with the station since 1996. He anchored both the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts until 1998, when he moved to 5 o’clock solely.
The talk is that Ch. 7 has told Hanrahan he can leave as soon as another opportunity presents itself, although it’s not clear why the station has taken this stance.
Ch. 7’s 5 p.m. newscast is currently in second place behind Ch. 4, averaging 421,000 households – which is basically flat from last May.
Ch. 7 officials had no comment.
If Hanrahan leaves, he would be the second high-profile Ch. 7 anchor to depart this year. Nancy Loo left in March for Chicago’s WFLD – also the new home of former Ch. 7 reporter David Navarro.
Hanrahan, a University of Arkansas graduate, began his TV career at KODE in Missouri before moving on to stations in Harrisburg, Pa. and Miami (WSVN).
He is represented by Los Angeles-based agent Ken Lindner, who was unavailable for comment yesterday.