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Hyland will remain an early riser through November "sweeps"



By ED BARK
The search for Jackie Hyland's replacement has started, although the Daybreak co-anchor will stay with the program until the end of the November "sweeps" ratings period, which begins Thursday.

Hyland, who joined Belo8 in August 2005, is voluntarily returning to her native New York City, where she previously had worked for WPIX-TV.

"There's no spin to it. She's just going home to be with her family," Belo8 news director Mike Valentine said in a telephone interview. "It was her decision. She came to us and we talked. She doesn't have another job there."

News of Hyland's departure broke earlier this month while unclebarky.com took a hiatus to attend family events in the Midwest. Valentine said the station is considering both in-house and outside candidates to join incumbent anchor Justin Farmer on Daybreak. Despite prevalent rumors, they do not include former CBS11 reporter Sarah Dodd, who emphatically ruled herself out in comments to unclebarky.com earlier this week.

Recent Daybreak substitutes have included Belo8 anchor/reporters Shelly Slater and Macie Jepson. The 5 to 7 a.m. program has been running second in the Nielsen ratings to Fox4's Good Day.

Hyland's husband is a former New York police officer. They have two daughters, according to her wfaa.com bio.