Dan Gross: Fox turns Huddleston loose

FOX 29 News at 10 anchor

Dave Huddleston

is "clearly disappointed" with the station's decision to not renew his contract, the anchor told us yesterday.

June 13 will be his last day at Fox 29, where he started in June 2002 after coming from a job in Minneapolis. "There's new management and they want to do what they want to do," said Huddleston, who is 44 today.

"We appreciate Dave's many contributions to WTXF during his time with Fox 29 News," Fox 29 VP/GM Mike Renda said yesterday in a written statement.

Huddleston says he and his wife, Tracey, and their kids, who are 10 and 13, all "fell in love with Philadelphia" after arriving six years ago. They live in Glen Mills. Huddleston, who was raised in Seattle, says he would love to continue working in the area, but he and agent Henry Reisch will explore options nationally as well.

We hear a search is under way for Huddleston's replacement but that in the meantime, anchor Dawn Stensland may be teamed with various Fox faces.

Former Fox 29 anchor Rich Noonan, who is white, sued the station in 2002, after his contract was not renewed, and Huddleston, who is black, was hired to replace him.

Noonan alleged reverse race discrimination and sought $300,00 from Fox 29. The parties reached a confidential settlement in 2004 before it went to trial. *

Have a tip? Call Dan at 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com.