A face familiar to local television news audiences is leaving Toledo for New York, the No. 1 market, where he will work at the station with the highest viewership there.

Rob Powers, sports director of WTVG-TV Channel 13, who also co-anchors the ABC station's 5:30 p.m. weekday newscast, will become weekend sports anchor at WABC-TV in New York, the Toledo station announced yesterday.

“My family and I have always felt we wouldn't leave Toledo unless the situation was almost perfect,” Powers said. “And this is close to perfect. As a kid you dream of doing big things. And going to WABC-TV — that's the biggest stage there is.”

He is thought to be the first person to make the leap straight from ABC's Toledo station, in the country's 73rd-largest market, to New York, said Brian Trauring, news director of WTVG-TV.

“He's done really, really well,” Trauring said.

Powers has been WTVG's sports director for 11 years and began anchoring its 5:30 p.m. newscast five years ago.

Trauring credited him with pioneering the station's Friday night high school football show.

The Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has awarded Powers four Emmys.

In New York, Powers is expected to present sports at 6 and 11 p.m. on weekends. During the week he is to be a sports reporter. One of his first stories is to be the New York Yankees playoffs.

His last day on the air in Toledo is to be Oct. 16. He is to start full time in New York the following day. In the meantime, he will be dividing his time between the two stations.

A replacement has not been named. The other two men in Channel 13 sports, Joe Nugent and Dave Holmes, will cover the department at present, Trauring said.

First Published October 1, 2009, 1:30 a.m.