CTV British Columbia has chosen two very familiar faces as the new anchors of its flagship newscast. Tamara Taggart and Mike Killeen will begin anchoring CTV News at Six on Monday, January 3rd, 2011. They will be joined with Meteorologist Michael Kuss and CTV Sports Director Perry Solkowski.

The announcement comes the day after veteran anchors Pamela Martin and Bill Good announced they are leaving at the end of the year.

By pairing Taggart with Killeen, CTV British Columbia will be able to continue offering what its news viewers have come to expect: an engaging combination of experience and credibility.

"Mike and Tamara are the perfect combination to take our newscast into the future," said Tom Haberstroh, Vice-President and General Manager, CTV British Columbia. "Both are already huge viewer favourites and well-respected throughout the community."

A third generation Vancouverite and graduate of BCIT Broadcast Communications, Taggart is a veteran broadcaster with deep roots in the community. She's been with the station for 13 years, co-hosting Vancouver Breakfast before taking over the weathercaster role on CTV News at Five, Six and 11:30.

Taggart connects with viewers. As a mother of three young children, she understands what's important to B.C. families and her community. She is also the most popular TV personality in the province, hands down, as chosen year after year in readers' choice polls conducted by TV Week and The Georgia Straight.

"This opportunity is by far the most exciting challenge of my career," said Taggart.

"Vancouver is my hometown: to get to do this in the city I love is an honour. The best part is that I get to share this experience with Mike, who is not only a great journalist but a good friend."

Like Taggart, Mike Killeen is someone CTV News viewers have come to know and trust. Also a graduate of BCIT, Killeen is an award winning, veteran journalist and former foreign correspondent who's been chasing stories for 25 years.

After covering the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China, he returned to Vancouver. He came to CTV ten years ago. After co-anchoring CTV's weekend newscast, Killeen became best known for his role as the Vancouver 2010 Reporter, covering the countdown to the Winter Olympics from just about every corner of the globe.

"Co-anchoring CTV News at Six in my hometown is truly a privilege, something I've dreamed of since before broadcasting school," said Killeen.

"I'm really excited to be anchoring with Tamara. Along with CTV's incredibly talented team of reporters, editors, camera operators and producers, we will deliver B.C.'s best newscast every night."

Michael Kuss - CTV Meteorologist

CTV British Columbia announced today that Meteorologist Michael Kuss is joining recently announced anchors Mike Killeen and Tamara Taggart on the new CTV News at Six broadcast team.

The B.C. native joins the team for their first broadcast on Monday, January 3, 2011.

"My family and I are overjoyed to be coming home to what is really a dream job for me," said Kuss.

"I look forward to forecasting and reporting some of the most challenging and variable weather in the country to CTV British Columbia viewers."

"Michael is one of the best meteorologists in the country and we're thrilled to welcome him back to British Columbia," said Tom Haberstroh, Vice-President and General Manager, CTV British Columbia.

"Together with Mike, Tamara, and Perry, we have a formidable team that bodes well for the future."

Originally from Saanich on Vancouver Island, Kuss has worked for most of the major networks in Canada including The Weather Network and most recently at Citytv in Toronto.

Kuss originally studied at the University of Victoria before following his dream to become a meteorologist by completing degrees in Meteorology and Communications/Journalism from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Kuss went on to intern with NBC affiliates in St. Louis and Eugene, Oregon, before returning to Canada in 1994 as RDTV's on-air meteorologist in Red Deer, Alberta. There, he also anchored weekend sports and hosted a daytime talk show.

Kuss moved to Toronto in 1996 to become The Weather Network's only full-time on-air meteorologist. One year later, he moved back to Alberta to help launch Edmonton's A-Channel (now Citytv) as their meteorologist, becoming one of Edmonton's most popular television personalities and one of the country's most accurate forecasters in the process.

Kuss returned to Toronto in 2001 to anchor the weather on Global Ontario's weekday supper hour and late night newscasts, before joining Toronto's Citytv in 2006. Kuss is married with two children, with another on the way.