Joe Barnes, former reporter for CBS affiliate WCBI-TV in the Columbus-Tupelo-West Point-Houston market, has recently been hired at the Magnolia State’s flagship station in Jackson.
Barnes started working at NBC affiliate WLBT-TV last month. Insiders tell South TV News his shift includes weekends and anchoring duties on Sundays.
Barnes started in early April, according to a post on his Facebook page.
A native of Columbus, Miss., the reporter spent nearly a decade working for WCBI, starting as a master control operator for the station’s UPN network in 2002 and eventually rising through the ranks from off-air to on-air, reporting and anchoring throughout the north Mississippi area, according to his former employer’s station bio.
Fans may notice a bit of a name change, too; Joe went by “Joey” Barnes while working in Columbus.
The job change comes not long after former WCBI news director Russ Geller’s position came up for grabs.
Congrats on the new job, Joe!