Kovaleski

Susko

Look out Dan Noyes! NBC Bay Area is launching an i-team early next year. A press release from NBC Bay Area says the station has hired two reporters for its investigative efforts:

• Tony Kovaleski, an investigative reporter at KMGH-TV, the ABC affiliate in Denver, since 2001. Previously he worked for KIEM-TV in Eureka, KTVN-TV in Reno, KTVK-TV and KNXV-TV in Phoenix, and KPRC-TV in Houston. He was born in Michigan but grew up in San Jose. Here’s how the Denver Post covered his departure.

• Jenna Susko, a general assignment reporter for WPMI-TV, the NBC affiliate in Mobile, Ala. Here’s her bio.

Richard Cerussi, president and GM of NBC Bay Area, said, “As we increase our investment in high-quality local journalism, we are very pleased to welcome these two investigative journalists to the Bay Area and into our newsroom. … Tony and Jenna are the first of many new team members who will allow us to bring Bay Area viewers more of the kind of in-depth investigations that result in positive change.”

Valari Dobson Staab, who employed Noyes when she was GM of ABC7, jumped to NBC in May to become its president of its O&Os. And now NBC is launching an i-team. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.