Longtime Big Easy Anchor Cutting Back to Part Time
WDSU anchor Norman Robinson will sign off on his last regular 10 p.m. newscast Tonight, and begin part-time status at the station until his planned full retirement in June 2014. Robinson, who is 62 and has been part of the New Orleans TV-news scene since 1976, will continue as a 6 p.m. anchor until he retires.
“This is something that I negotiated three years ago,” Robinson said. “I had planned to do it before now, but Katrina interrupted things.
“The timing’s right for me. I happen to be working for a company with great benefits, so I can do what I’m doing.
“I decided to scale back and give myself a year to make the transition," he said. "I’m in great health. It was not a health-related decision.”
Robinson said he’s anchored WDSU’s 10 p.m. newscast for 23 years, adding that he’s not yet reflective about his tenure at the station coming to a close.
“I’m really not there yet,” he said. “I will probably think more about that as the time of my full retirement gets closer.
“I’m happy with where I am. I’m excited about this. This is just a preliminary step.
“The balloons drop around next year this time.”