Maria Antonia, one of the most-liked and respected colleagues at KMBC-TV during a career that spanned 28 years with the Hearst-owned ABC affiliate, will be leaving the station effective today, sources have told Bottom Line Communications.
Antonia, who has been a general assignment reporter and fill in anchor at KMBC and a volunteer with the Bishop Sullivan Center in Kansas City for years, is reportedly taking a new position with the organization.
Known for her signature signoffs accentuating her Cuban heritage, Antonia is married to veteran KMBC photojournalist Tim Twyman. He is remaining with the station.
During her career Antonia worked at radio and television stations in Miami, Little Rock and New Haven following graduation from the University of Miami before joining KMBC-TV in 1984.
In March 2003, she took local reporting to a new level when she covered the initial stages of the war in Iraq from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. In 1998, she was the only local reporter allowed into Cuba to cover the Papal visit by Pope John Paul II.
During her near-three decade career Antonia (Maria Albisu-Twyman) earned numerous professional awards, including five Emmys and three regional Edward R. Murrow awards. She has received awards from the Missouri Broadcasters association, Association of News Broadcasters of Kansas and the Kansas City Press Club.
Antonia has been extremely active in the community and has won numerous awards including The Heart of Gold Award from the YWCA, a Leadership Award from the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Community and a National Award from the National Bone Marrow Registry, for raising awareness about transplants and the need for donors, She has volunteered for years with the her time to help organizations such as the Bishop Sullivan Center and Cristo Rey High School. She is also the first woman to serve as chairperson of the Kansas/Western Missouri March of Dimes, WalkAmerica.
Antonia was also part of a 2008 lawsuit filed by three veteran female on-air personalities at KMBC charging the station with age and sex discrimination. The lawsuit was filed by Kelly Eckerman, Peggy Breit and Antonia. The suit was settled amicably in 2010.
ANTONIA’S DEPARTURE PREDICTABLE
Another one bites the dust. I think this was predictable in the sense that she wasn’t sitting in the anchor’s seat as much or as often as she might have preferred, and with Hearst’s decision to essentially put her and the other two ladies “out to pasture” a few years ago, that certainly didn’t help to create any loyalty on her part. But I guess she still has a job, so I’m happy for her.
LOSS FOR KC TV
Sad loss for KC television!
BRIGHT SPOT
Really sorry to see her go, Maria was a bright spot in my day. My wife and I have enjoyed her work for years.
BN
FOND FAREWELL TO GREAT TALENT
A fond farewell to a great talent that was totally underutilized by all the owners of Channel 9. She had the gift of sharing the news without telling us how we should think about the news. I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Ms Antonia and found her personable, knowledgeable and professional. She will be missed. I wish her well.
SAD TO SEE HER LEAVE
I am sorry to see Maria leave KMBC. I have always liked her reporting style. I am glad she will be doing something to help the Kansas City Community.
Thanks Maria!
SAD TO SEE HER LEAVE
Very sad to see Maria leave the station.
I have been watching channel 9 for years ..I thought she was an excellent anchor andreporter. The best in Kansas City. Myself
and a lot of other people in my community adore her. She is national material…and to be treated the way she was locally is an insult. Good luck, Maria…so very sorry to see you leave…. I hope you find something that fits your wonderful talent and ability.
WILL MISS YOU
Ric Nichols and Thomas have summed it up very well. Will miss you!!! God Bless you in your new venture!
WILL BE MISSED
She will be missed. I always enjoyed her. She did a good job and it’s hard to realize its been this long! Best wishes Maria!
AN ODE TO MARIA ANTONIA
A light in the darkness of insanity
A tough cookie with a gentle spirit
A strong woman and superb newsperson
Godspeed, Maria …. please keep smiling!
WILL BE MISSED
We will miss you Maria. Thank you for 28 years of awesome coverage of our news. Lady, you’ve done well.
FAREWELL BROUGHT TEARS
Farewell Maria! I have enjoyed watching you over the years. Seems your assignments were always done with great conviction and close to your heart. Your sign off last nite, when saying ” this is the last time I will be saying good bye on this station” brought tears to my eyes. But again, You did it so eloquently.
CONSUMMATE PRO
So sad….she was the consummate professional reporter…afield or inhouse…will miss her.
GOD SPEED & GOOD LUCK
I have been watching channel 9 for over 30 years. It was a joy to watch her. I have met her personally though the Hispanic organization of MANA de Kansas City. She is very friendly and very informed. I will miss her. God speed and good luck in your new stage of life.
A JOY TO WATCH
I will definely miss Maria on Channel 9. I had the pleasure of meeting her when I was working with the Red Cross at an apartment fire in Overland Park
In 2011. She has always been a joy to watch on tv. She delivers the news with professionalism. We will definitely miss you and good luck in your new
Ventures.
28 YEARS IS LONG TIME
I got an opportunity to be interviewed by her a couple of times and found the experience enjoyable. 28 years is a long time to be in that profession and that speaks to her great talent and tenacity. I wish her great success in her new position.
SAD TO SEE HER GO
Maria, Since Ive been in KC I have only watched channel 9 news. It will be sad not seeing you any more on our news. Wishing you the best for the next adventure you’re going on. Thank you for all the great stories u told us about.
Best Wishes
Catherine
A CLASS ACT
Maria – What a class act. I remember you on the morning newscast along with Joel. You guys were great! You will be missed!
WILL MISS MARIA
Maria, we have lived in the KC area since 1989 and Channel 9 has been our choice for news since then. I have always enjoyed your style of reporting especially when you were on the morning show. I wish you the best. I will miss watching you and your excellent reporting.
VIEWER SINCE 1988
So Long Maria. Thanks for all these years on KMBC. I watched you since 1988 when the morning news started.
A BRIGHT STAR
So sorry to see her leaving the broadcasting
part of this company. SHe is a bright star, can only hope her new position brings her as much happiness as she has given to KC.
A CLASS ACT
So sorry to see Maria leave. I remember her anchoring the AM show with Joel Nichols years ago. She is a class act. Shame on KMBC for letting her go.
LETTING TOO MANY GO
sorry to see you go,, I think they are letting way to many people go, who are the ones that need to stay,,good luck with your new adventure or retirement.
GREAT JOB MARIA
Great job Maria, Best Wishes. I hope KMBC news does not got down the tube like our CBS affiliate.
ONE OF THE BEST
Maria was one of the best. Good job for standing up for what you believe. I will miss her experience and caring nature when reporting the news.
LAURIE EVERETT?
Im glad she will still be in the area, but I wonder if she will be like Laurie Everett???? Just fell off the face of the earth after her good-bye even tho we were promised that we would get updates of her around the world cruise with her husband on their sailboat. I wonder what ever happened to her?????
Maria is taking a new job. Anyone know whatever happened to Laurie Everett?
LAURIE EVERETT FAN
I sure wish Laurie was back – she sure was a lot better than ‘laughing Lara’ Moritz is today, and didn’t make the news look like a comedy act every night!
KMBC’S LOSS
You will be missed Maria. You were always the consummate professional and it is sad that you have left KMBC. It is definitely their loss and Bishop Sullivan’s gain.
KMBC HAS VOID
channel 9 news has a void god bless you
MISS MARIA
We have missed Maria for several months and just learned that she left KMBC in September. This is a huge disappointment. Maria was a true professional; great delivery, warm, sincere, genuine, and always properly dresses when on camera. Her style and appearance (especially the short hair in contrast to all the long hair we see on TV ladies) got our attention and held it. Losing Maria from KMBC is like losing Tony Gonzales from the Chiefs. Our best wishes to you Maria, for a productive and happy life.\
David and Pat Circle
I was just thinking about Maria,and realized I hadn’t seen her lately. I didn’t see her sign off and since she wasn’t on every evening I did not realize she had left. She will be missed. Good luck Maria!
MISSING MARIA
I’m ashamed that my wife and I just realized that we hadn’t seen Maria in a while….and we watch KMBC a lot. Maria was a pro’s pro. We will miss her. We moved to KC as a family in 1989.
To think that we have gone from Laurie Everett to Lara Moritz is a huge step in the wrong direction. Hopefully Ms. Moritz will be taking her laughing hyena act to another market soon. We are so embarrassed by her juvenile and folksy style.
With Maria gone, we’ll definitely be looking for a different news station. Good luck in your new role, Maria. You were appreciated and loved for your professional reporting.
NOT A FAN
I can watch KMBC channel 9 again. Now that that obnoxious woman is no longer on air. I have refused to watch the station since Maria Antonia ran me off the road In an apparent fit of road rage in 2005. She then lied about the situation.
I found her to be annoying even before she endangered my life on the highway. Adios Maria. In this home, you and your ugly chicken neck WON’T be missed.
MARIA CLASS ACT
S Wainwright sounds like an immature idiot. Not one bad thing has been said about Maria, a wonderful reporter and person, except for this weirdo. She is a class act and all these comments reflect that fact.
ANNOYING
Glad she is gone. She definitely was annoying, and her reporting was grating on me. Just not a fan of her speech impediment.
MARIA’S SIGN-OFF
I watched maria for a long time i enjoyed hearing her say her name.this is maria antonia for channel nine news..