Tony Cipolla joins KCOY

August 12, 2011

Former KSBY news anchor Tony Cipolla is heading to Santa Maria for a new TV gig with arch rival KCOY Channel 12. [Tribune]

Next week, Cipolla will join Sara Cole as co-anchor of the morning show.

Last October, KCOY began airing a television spot showing Cipolla from behind which coyingly ended just as he began to face the camera. The announcer intoned “Coming This November Tony’s Back”

However, while Capolla began teaching broadcast journalism classes at Cal Poly, a job he plans to keep along with his KCOY gig, he did not start with KCOY in 2010.

Cipolla left KSBY last spring after 20 years as a reporter-anchor in a contract dispute. Reportedly making $160,000 a year in salary, Cipolla rejected a management request to drop his pay down to $110,000 a year.

Cipolla earned two Emmys for his work on the San Simeon Earthquake, numerous Associated Press honors and Golden Mike awards from the Radio and Television News Association, as well as the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in broadcast journalism during his time at KSBY, the Tribune said.

How Cipolla does in Santa Maria remains to be seen. Rick Martel made a similar move in 1995 after leaving the anchor chair at KSBY in his own contract dispute, but Martel lasted little more than a year in Santa Maria at KCOY with then co-anchor Mary Babbitt.