NBC affiliates shuffle newsroom personnel

BANGOR – Several anchor changes were announced Friday for NBC affiliates WLBZ 2 in Bangor and WCSH 6 in Portland.

Reporter Chris Facchini will be co-anchorman of NEWS CENTER’s 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts for WLBZ 2 with Donna Gormley, replacing Matt Friedman, who recently completed his three-year contract with the station, according to a press release. Facchini will begin his new duties in early August.

Facchini has been with NEWS CENTER since 1997 and has been the Lewiston-Auburn bureau reporter since 1998. He was a reporter in Myrtle Beach, S.C., before coming to Maine, and has a bachelor’s degree from Emerson College. He and his wife, Cyndi, are in the process of relocating in Bangor, the release said.

Kathleen Shannon will be co-anchorwoman of NEWS CENTER at 11 p.m. with Pat Callaghan. She will replace Shannon Moss, who has joined ABC affiliate WMTW-TV in Portland. She also will fill in for Callaghan for the 10 p.m. newscast on partner station WPXT-TV in Portland, the press release said. She will begin her new duties in mid-June, when she returns from maternity leave.

Shannon will continue to co-anchor and report for the nightly news magazine “207” with Rob Caldwell.

Shannon has worked for NEWS CENTER most recently since 2003 and earlier as a reporter from 1995-1999. She was an anchorwoman-reporter for KSTP-TV in Minneapolis-St. Paul after leaving NEWS CENTER in 1999. She also was a producer for a TV station in San Diego before coming to Maine in 1995. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University, the release said.

Shannon lives with her husband, Mike, and their twin boys in Cumberland.

Caroline Cornish next week will assume the weekend anchor duties for the 6, 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts. She replaces Jennifer Rooks, who recently joined Maine Public Broadcasting.

Cornish joined NEWS CENTER as a reporter in 2004. She had worked at WPTZ in Plattsburgh, N.Y., before coming to Maine. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She lives with her husband, Mike, in Portland.