KITV news anchor Gary Sprinkle will leave television news at the end of the year, and his wife and co-anchor, Pamela Young, will scale back her schedule to become weekend anchor in the new year.

“;Quality of life is going to take priority,”; the two said in a jointly written statement.

“;A couple years ago, we said, 'In two years we are not going to work full time anymore,'”; Sprinkle told “;TheBuzz.”;

He will focus on his company, Sprinkle Communications, which does video production, including for company Web sites.

“;Gary has been a valued member of the KITV family and news team for the past 18 years,”; said Mike Rosenberg, president and general manager. “;Though we will miss him, we respect his decision to step away at this time.”;

The couple's contracts were to expire at the end of the year.

“;For me, I just know in my heart of hearts that it's time to step away,”; Sprinkle said.

KITV “;has been wonderful,”; Young said.

“;We have so much that we have wanted to do that we couldn't because we're working more than a full-time job. We're really looking forward to this next period. ... We're celebrating,”; she said.

This year has marked the 25th anniversary of “;Mixed Plate,”; her signature feature on topics of interest to and involving island folk.

“;I have another special coming up, and then I've got to finish this Damien special ... before I can relax into the weekend position,”; Young said.

Sprinkle has worked in TV news for 32 years, beginning in Tucson, Ariz.

A little-known fact is that his father, Art Sprinkle Jr., hired the late, legendary news anchor Bob Sevey at then-KULA-TV (now KITV) in the 1950s as a production manager. After his transition to news, Sevey hired Sprinkle's son Gary at KGMB in 1978 as a weekend sports anchor.

Sprinkle and Young, then the “;Mixed Plate”; reporter at KHON-TV, got married in 1985, and by 1991 both were anchoring the new 5 p.m. newscast at KITV, a slot in which they were top-rated for most of the years since.

KITV has launched a search for a weeknight anchor and announced that 10 p.m. anchor Paula Akana will expand her role at 5 and 6 p.m. during the transition. Regular weekend anchor Jill Kuramoto has been filling in for morning anchor Mahealani Richardson, who is on maternity leave. Weekend newscasts will feature various anchors through the end of the year, Rosenberg said.

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