Esteban in at KHNL; Hagi, Baehr out

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

Mary Ann Esteban, behind-the-scenes weather producer at KHNL News 8, will join the weekend news crews on camera in the next few weeks.

Esteban has been producing the station's weather segments for the past few months, according to Seth Feldman, KHNL executive news director. "It was more important to hire an actual meteorologist than someone with on-camera experience," he said.

Esteban joined the NBC affiliate in September 2000 as a temporary weather producer and has interned at the National Weather Service.

She will be part of weekend news crew alongside Diane Ako and Eric Elizaga, giving the station two on-air meteorologists (the other is Sharie Shima). She replaces Kim Sheree.

Esteban holds a bachelor of science degree in math and meteorology from the University of Hawai'i and is a master's candidate in meteorology.

In other KHNL personnel changes, contracts for two other staff members — morning news weather anchor Guy Hagi and reporter Brooks Baehr — are not being picked up. Fink refused to comment.