DALLAS -- Longtime News 8 anchor Shelly Slater will be stepping away from the anchor's desk in September as she transitions to a smaller schedule at the station to accommodate a growing family.
"I'm making this decision for three reasons," Slater said. "[My sons] Hutcheson, Hawkins, and Halston."
Slater has been with WFAA as an anchor since 2006. On Oct. 1, she will transition to a role as a special contributor. She will have three stories a month in the 10 p.m. newscast and will continue to represent the station at special events, on social media, and as she put it, she will "still be part of the News 8 family."
She currently anchors the 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. Her final day as anchor falls on a "serendipitous" date, she said.
"I'm not off the anchor desk until September 6th -- which is a date I did not choose, which is funny because it is 10 years to the day that I started at Channel 8," Slater said.
Slater said she will focus on sit-down interviews with "movers and shakers" in our communities about what they're doing and how it's relevant to the rest of us, and finding cool, inspiring stories that require a little more work and polish away from the newsroom grind.
"I actually think I'll get to do some of my best work, because I won't be in on the day-to-day stuff, [...] I'll just get to focus on the people and the story," she said.
The move away from the anchor desk will allow Slater more time with her husband and three young sons, Hutcheson, 6; Hawkins, 3; and 6-month-old Halston.
"My most important hours of work are from 3 to 6:30 [p.m.]," Slater said. "I also feel like those are the same hours that my kids need me the most. That's why I'm kind of reconfiguring my schedule to fit that mom world a little bit better."
WFAA News Director Carolyn Mungo, a mother to two daughters herself, said she understands and supports Slater's move.
"I couldn't be more proud of the decision Shelly is making," Mungo said. "Being a mom in this business is not easy. Lucky for us and our audience, Shelly will remain as an important contributor to all of our platforms."
Slater grew up in Plano and her family, including parents and siblings, live in North Texas. She has won multiple Emmys in her time at WFAA for her reporting, for anchoring, and for breaking news coverage, as well as an Edward R. Murrow award for field anchoring.
She said after her final day as an anchor on Sept. 6, she will recharge and take a vacation before her return in her new role in October.
