A ‘bittersweet’ decision, KSN’s Mark Davidson to leave anchor desk

Mark Davidson, a KSN-TV morning anchor, announced Friday that he is leaving the station at the end of the year.

“It’s a bittersweet decision,” he said on the station’s Facebook page. “I’m leaving a job I really enjoyed, I’m leaving the people I feel very close to. Ultimately this came down to what was the best for my family and for our future together.”

For almost nine years, Davidson said he has woken up at 2:30 a.m. for work.

“That takes a toll,” he said. “It takes a toll on me, it takes a toll on the time and the energy I have to give to my daughter and my wife ... while I’ll miss what I do ... it was just time to do something different.”

Davidson will work with the IMA Financial Group in Wichita, who sought him out for the job.

“They talked about the skill set I have and how it would apply to what they’re trying to do,” he said, explaining he’s looking forward to the opportunity.

Davidson brought “a great work ethic and sense of humor with him every day,” said KSN news director Rachel Schrag Sommerfeld. “I know he’ll bring that same dedication to his next professional step.”

Davidson came to Wichita in 2005 as a weekend sports anchor and became an anchor in 2009.

“Mark has been a valuable member of the KSN team for 12 years, and an integral part of the morning show for the past eight years, but we understand that he is ready to make a change that better fits his personal life,” said Steve South, KSN’s vice president and general manager. “We wish him the very best in his next professional step.”

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 7:54 AM with the headline "A ‘bittersweet’ decision, KSN’s Mark Davidson to leave anchor desk."