Minneapolis anchor Randi Kaye headed for CNN

<p>WCCO television news anchor Randi Kaye is leaving the station to become an anchor and consumer correspondent at CNN, WCCO vice president and general manager Ed Piette announced Monday.</p><p>The announcement comes two months after Kaye lost her position as the station's 10 p.m. news anchor when Amelia Santaniello returned to the slot. Kaye will continue to anchor the 5 p.m. news until Dec. 1.</p><p>"Anchoring and reporting for CNN is something every local newscaster dreams of," Kaye said in a statement. Kaye joined WCCO in 1998. She previously worked at ABC's "World News Tonight," and at "Nightline".</p><p>"Our loss is CNN's gain, as the WCCO-TV newsroom surrenders yet another outstanding broadcast journalist to the national stage," Piette said. "Randi's competitiveness, energy, and smile will be sorely missed by those who have come to know her."</p><p>Two years ago, Kaye was elevated to the 10 p.m. news anchor position when Santaniello was dropped from the slot while on maternity leave.</p><p>Santaniello was reinstated in September because station research showed she had a "stronger connection," with viewers than Kaye, Piette said.</p><p>WCCO news director Jeff Kiernan said Kaye has been unrelenting in her pursuit of the truth and that she contributed tirelessly to the community.</p><p>Kaye sits on the board of SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education and hosts an annual golf tournament to raise awareness about depression and suicide. She is an honorary board member for the Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and supports the Minnesota AIDS Project, Children's Heartlink and the Children's Cancer Research Fund.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x2865b5c)</p>

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