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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

Jonathan Hawgood Says Goodbye As Only He Can

Jonathan Hawgood

When I asked "News 5 Today" weekend morning anchor if he wanted to thank viewers who had watched him for 13 years on WLWT-TV, he emailed me a photo of him blowing a kiss and wrote that the "ramblings of an old news anchor don't amount to a hill of beans in this old world…"

Hawgood left TV news Sunday after 22 years to devote more time to his wife's business. He handed off Channel 5's weekend morning anchor duties Sunday to Alison Montoya, a former reporter/anchor who returned to TV after almost a two-year break after the birth of her daughter. He had no regrets.

"I have 'left it all out on the field' in TV. After 22 years, I have no reservation or apprehension. I will continue to assist my wife with her real estate business, Lulu Properties,and may choose to look for other things to get involved with in Cincinnati," he says.  He and wife, Lucie, have three children.

Credit Jonathan Hawgood

The only difficult part of leaving Channel 5 was that "this is the best station in which I ever worked. The management is more honorable than it is at other stations, for sure."

As I wrote on May 13, Hawgood will be remembered for his enthusiastic, colorful, unique descriptions of sunrises shown by the tower camera. Loyal Channel 5 viewers will too. So Hawgood, in his email to me, said goodbye this way:

"Thank you to everyone who has been so kind in wishing me well, and to all who’ve watched over the years.  The ramblings of an old news anchor don’t amount to a hill of beans in this world, but when you look out over that beautiful Tristate sky as it fills with color to start the day, I hope you’ll know that somewhere I’m probably looking at it too. And we’ll always have News Five Today."

Good luck, Jonathan. You were one of a kind.

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.