Walter Makaula Named New Co-Anchor of CBS4 News This Morning

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- WFOR/CBS4 has named a new co-anchor for its 5am – 7am weekday newscast, CBS4 News This Morning.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Walter Makaula will make his on-air debut one week after he joins the station on Monday, January 13, 2014.

"Walter is a multi-talented broadcaster who is equally skilled as a breaking news anchor and as a storyteller who reports on captivating human interest stories. We're thrilled to have him join our team," CBS4 Vice President/General Manager Adam Levy said.

Makaula comes to CBS4 from Fox 5 News in San Diego, California, where he has anchored several different newscasts. He has also reported on a wide range of breaking news stories, including those involving local politics, the search for missing children, drug smuggling and a local drone controversy. He was one of the first reporters on the scene when an F/A-18 fighter jet crashed into two homes, and his reports were subsequently carried live to viewers across the country.

A native of Hawaii, Makaula previously anchored weeknight newscasts at NBC affiliate KHNL in Honolulu, and co-anchored the station's weekday late-evening newscast. Prior to KHNL, he worked as a general assignment reporter at KGMB, the CBS affiliate in Honolulu. His ongoing feature "Job Swap" -- which found him switching jobs with everyday workers -- won an Emmy for Best News Feature for a segment in which he worked as a high-rise window washer for a day.

Makaula also won the Crime Stoppers International Media Award for his KHNL news series "Hawaii's Most Wanted."  His reports led to the apprehension of 12 fugitives.