New anchor lineup announced at NBC Connecticut

NBC Connecticut has announced new anchors across its weekday and weekend morning and evening shows.

The network on Tuesday said Shannon Miller has been chosen to co-anchor “NBC Connecticut News Today” on weekday mornings, while Amber Diaz will serve as co-anchor of the evening newscasts for “NBC Connecticut News.” The network also said Toi Thornton has joined NBC Connecticut from FOX6 News in Birmingham, Alabama, and will serve as anchor for weekend editions of “NBC Connecticut News Today.”

“Shannon, Amber, and Toi’s authentic journalistic approach to storytelling allows us to connect with our audience across multiple platforms, delivering the news the way people consume it now and into the future,” Tracy Davis, VP of News for NBC Connecticut, said in a statement issued Tuesday.

The announcement Tuesday comes days after Ted Koppy announced on social media why he has been absent from his morning newscast role for months. In a Facebook post last Thursday, Koppy said a “routine bike ride” earlier this year landed him in the emergency room where doctors discovered a “more serious underlying condition,” which he said is still being investigated.

“Unfortunately, it’s sidelined me from my life’s routine including anchoring the morning news,” Koppy wrote. “My family and I are extremely appreciative to the medical experts who are narrowing in on a precise diagnosis and treatment options.”

Koppy did not disclose more about the condition.

In her role as co-anchor of the “NBC Connecticut News Today,” Miller will join Heidi Voight and Bob Maxon on weekdays from 4:30 to 7 a.m. Voight was off the air for several weeks earlier this year and announced in August via social media that her mother’s death in February was a violent murder in her Vermont home, which she said at the time was still being investigated by Vermont State Police.

Miller has been with NBC Connecticut for nearly seven years, most recently anchoring the NBC Connecticut News at 4 p.m. She has also been a contributor to Dateline, reporting on true crime stories.

Diaz in her new role will co-anchor “NBC Connecticut News” at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. alongside veteran anchor Kevin Nathan, the network said. Diaz joined NBC Connecticut in April 2022, and “was instrumental” in profiling and sharing the stories of the families and individuals affected by the tragedy in Sandy Hook and their “journey to hope and healing” in the docuseries Just Yesterday: Sandy Hook Ten Years Later, according to the network.

The network said Thornton joins NBC Connecticut with seven years of experience as an anchor and reporter. He has hosted a mental health podcast called Undisclosed Trauma and has given back to the community by collecting 1,200 ties through his campaign “Tie-ing Up Alabama with Toi,” according to the announcement made Tuesday.

“We are excited to move forward with these new teams, who will no doubt continue to honor and share the stories of the people and communities we serve,” President and General Manager of NBC and Telemundo Connecticut Hank Guerrero said in a statement.