The workload for Tricia Macke — the face of Fox 19 news — keeps increasing. Not bad for someone who started as a freelance reporter when WXIX-TV created its news department 30 years ago.
Soon she will be seen anchoring the Fox 19 Now newscasts 4-7 p.m., then return for her usual 10-11:30 p.m. gig.
"They've been asking me to do this for a while. Soon I'll have three kids in college, and just one in high school. The timing was good," says Macke, a Newport native and 1992 Northern Kentucky University graduate.
Her expanded role is part of a redistribution of anchor duties with the arrival of anchor Megan O'Rourke from Dayton's WKEF-TV/WRGT-TV to replace Chris Riva. He left March 1 for a job with the Connor Group, a Miamisburg property management company.
Starting in April, Macke will anchor 4-1/2 hours of the 13 hours of news WXIX-TV broadcasts every week day.
"I like to be the one who shares the news," Macke says. That's what she was doing as a WCKY-AM news anchor/reporter in 1993, and modeling, while trying to get a news job at Channels 5, 9 or 12.
"I was working at WCKY and barely made enough for parking. Six dollars an hour! And I did modeling on the side. Then I heard that WXIX was starting a news department. I called them every day. I was bound and determined to prove my NKU professors wrong. They said you have to leave town to start your career. You couldn't start it here, but you could end your career here. I was just bound and determined."
Persistence paid off. She went in every day to get a story assignment. And after appearing in a Sunday Enquirer advertisement modeling lingerie, WXIX-TV managers agreed to hire her full-time — if she'd give up modeling.
Three decades later she's the most recognizable person on Fox 19 — or maybe all of Cincinnati television.
"I was hopeful I'd have a long career in Cincinnati. I never had any desire to leave. I grew up here. It's a great big small town."
Her Fox 19 bosses have been very accommodating. Often Macke, the mother of five,uses the break between the evening and 10 p.m. newscasts to coach the KY Royals, a girls' traveling basketball team for high school freshmen.
Putting Macke on more newscasts "is kind of a no-brainer," says Steve Hyvonen, news director. "Tricia Macke is the most recognized anchor in the market right now. She's a trusted presence in the market."
Macke has been anchoring the 4 p.m. news with meteorologist Ashley Smith since its launch in 2018, and the 5 p.m. half hour with Riva. Starting in April, Macke will co-anchor at 5 p.m. with O'Rourke, and do the 6 p.m. hour with longtime co-anchor Rob Williams and chief meteorologist Steve Hortsmeyer.
Channel 19 viewers may remember O'Rourke, a 2003 Miami University graduate, from her two-year stint as a reporter and fill-in anchor eight years ago. She came here in 2014 after eight years at Dayton's WDTN-TV (Channel 2), and returned to Dayton in 2016 to anchor morning news at Dayton's Channels 22 and 45. She was promoted to evening news anchor in 2018. Her contract recently expired.
"Megan is Facebook friends with a lot of people at the station. We've kept in touch," Hyvonen says.
O'Rourke, a 1999 Xenia High School graduate, also will co-anchor the 3 p.m. news with Amber Jayanth, report during the 4 and 6 p.m. news, and fill in for anchors when needed because "we do 13 hours of news a day," Hynonen says.
"She's an aggressive smart journalist and her warmth really comes across on the anchor desk," Hyvonen says.
WXIX-TV also will redistribute the midday anchor workload in April, before the start of the May ratings "sweeps."
Jordan Vilines will co-anchor the 10 a.m. Fox10 Now Morning Extra with meteorologist Frank Marzullo. Jayanth, Marzullo and Jessica Schmidt will co-anchor the 11 a.m. news.
