Originally posted Tuesday, September 10, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Rick Folbaum, a CNN International freelancer and former Fox News anchor, is joining CBS46 as an evening anchor, replacing recently departed Thomas Roberts.
He will handle the 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on CBS46 and the 9 p.m. newscast on sister station Peachtree TV. He will sit alongside Shon Gables, who was recently promoted to full-time evening anchor as well, effectively replacing Sharon Reed.
He will be the fourth male anchor in that slot in five years. Scott Light came on in early 2014 and lasted 18 months. Ben Swann joined in mid-2015 and was fired in early 2018. Roberts came on in mid-2018 and departed last month.
Folbaum worked at Fox News for 17 years as an anchor and foreign correspondent. He then spent five years as an anchor at a CBS affiliate in Miami WFOR-TV. He left that job last August and came to Atlanta to freelance with CNN International.
“I am thrilled to be joining the great team of journalists at CBS46,” Folbaum said in a press release. “I can’t wait to get to work.”
Steve Doerr, news director, praised his "decades of network and large market anchoring experience. He'll do a terrific job."
An insider said Folbaum had been considered for the evening anchor position last year but Roberts got the job. Roberts - a long-time NBC and MSNBC anchor and reporter - left after less than 14 months, saying it wasn’t a good fit for him.
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