KTVI News Vet Tom O’Neal Sets Retirement

After 40-plus years of experience as a broadcast journalist, Fox affiliate KTVI St. Louis (DMA 21) news anchor Tom O’Neal will retire in July. O’Neal joined KTVI in 1990. Currently he co-anchors Fox 2 News weeknights at 5 and 9 p.m. which will continue until his last day.

The station also announced that WXYZ Detroit anchor-reporter Vic Faust will join KTVI on April 13 as a reporter and will replace O’Neal in July.

“Tom O’Neal is a winner, a great competitor, and a true professional,” said Spencer Koch, president-GM of KTVI. “His contributions to the community, his service to our viewers, and his dedication to his craft are legendary. Tom’s leadership has helped take our newscasts to a new level, and for that we are grateful,” added Koch.

O’Neal has won several national, state and local awards for outstanding reporting in the fields of medicine and education including three Emmy Awards.

“It’s been a great run, and I’ve been very fortunate to work in the same town for 40 years,” said O’Neal. “It’s hard to beat the wonderful people in St. Louis and the talented people I’ve worked with over the years.”

At WXYZ, Vic Faust was a sports anchor/reporter, then a weekend news anchor/reporter, and for the last five years, the morning news anchor. Prior to that, he worked at KQTV St. Joseph, Mo.;, KMIZ Columbia, Mo.; and KOKI Tulsa, Oklz., as a sports director/anchor.

He began his broadcasting career as a color commentator on the Missouri Tiger Radio Network, following a four-year football career as a Tiger at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he received his degree.