(Knoxville, TN) Award winning anchor Ted Hall will join the Local 8 News team in January.

Ted is well known in East Tennessee after spending 18 years in local news and sports at WBIR. For the past 7 years, he’s been anchoring the news at WXIA-TV in Atlanta.

Ted is excited about returning to Knoxville for both personal and professional reasons: "My wife, kids and I are so happy to be coming home to East Tennessee. I look forward to working alongside old friends like Alan, Mark and Rick and getting to know Lauren, Amanda, David and the rest of the Local 8 News team. I'm thrilled about the opportunity to be a part of WVLT’s growing success and expanded News commitment.”

During his previous time in Knoxville, Ted was recognized as one of East Tennessee's most favorite news anchors, winning numerous viewer polls and contests. He’s also an Edward R. Murrow Award winner, recognized for writing, reporting, hosting and co-producing a “Best News Documentary” and was the recipient of several Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalist awards.

“Our station has long been the market leader in sports and entertainment programming. Over the past few years we’ve also focused on growing our commitment to local news by covering even more stories that are important to our viewers. This commitment means having journalists who can tell great stories from the anchor desk and from the communities we serve. Ted brings extensive experience as a journalist and a love for our region, making him a great fit for the type of local news we cover in East Tennessee”, added Lena Sadiwskyj, WVLT Vice-President of News.

"We are excited that Ted is joining our Local 8 News Team. He embodies so many of the key attributes that are important to our community, and to our local news philosophy. He’s a veteran news professional with an infectious passion for local news and community service, yet he also understands the importance of putting faith and family first. He is excited about joining a news team that shares those values and is looking forward to taking a leadership role in the expanded local commitment we are making to our viewers. Clearly Ted is a great complement to what is already an outstanding team" said WVLT Executive VP and General Manager Chris Baker

Ted and his wife Lesa have three children. They’re avid tennis players, sports buffs and are looking forward to cheering on the Vols. Ted also volunteers with various community and charity organizations.

For more information, contact: Chris Baker, Executive VP/General Manager chris.baker@wvlt-tv.com (865) 450-8888