An Emmy Award-winning television news reporter is coming to Bermuda to manage the Government television station, it was reported at the weekend.

Renee Kemp has left KTVU-TV, in San Francisco, California, announced the station, to become general manager at CITV, where she will oversee operations, host her own talk show and report on local news.

A report on KTVU's website said Ms Kemp worked there as a freelance reporter for eight years and filed her last piece on Saturday.

It said she originally went to the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1990s to work as an anchor/reporter for KRON-TV and had also filed stories as an international correspondent for Black Entertainment Television (BET) in Washington, D.C.

KTVU news director Ed Chapuis was quoted as saying: "Renee has done a terrific job reporting for KTVU for the past eight years and this job will provide many new challenges and rewards for her career.

"Her excellent journalistic skills and her interest in the community put her in a great position to lead a team. She is a good teacher who can help mentor young journalists in this new, exciting effort."

The report said Ms Kemp had travelled extensively to Africa, Asia, Central America and Europe, producing feature stories that aired on BET, Fox News and CNN. A recent exposé on the AIDS crisis in Africa and in the African-American community earned her an Emmy Award.

Ms Kemp has also contributed stories to the Oakland Tribune and Essence magazine about her journeys to Africa.

CITV spokeswoman Beverle Lottimore told The Royal Gazette: "As soon as Ms Kemp arrives in Bermuda to take up her post, we will introduce her. We are awaiting a confirmation (arrival) date from Immigration."

A survey conducted early last year showed that just two percent of the population watch CITV, which costs nearly $1 million a year to run. Government has said it plans to cultivate Bermudian journalists with internships at the station.