An Iowa TV anchor choked up on air as he quit his job, and announced he was leaving journalism – before blasting his station for spewing “saturated” news that makes local viewers “uncomfortable.”

Dustin Nolan, morning anchor for NBC-affiliate KWQC-TV 6 in Davenport, delivered the dramatic on-air resignation Friday, repeatedly pausing while fighting back tears before issuing a stinging rebuke of the news station.

“I have chosen to step away from the news industry,” said Nolan, who has worked at KWQC since 2022.

“Before I say goodbye, I just want to say, I hope every one of you that’s allowed me to be a part of your mornings just how important that I have taken this job, how much it means to me that you’ve trusted me these past few years to bring you the news in the morning.”

The distraught broadcaster stressed that he has “given everything” to serving up transparent, fact-driven news coverage to the Quad Cities, calling it a “public service.”

Nolan said all he has ever wanted was to report on the “issues that really matter.”

“I’ve always believed that we as a local news station owe you, the viewers, the best that we can do, because without you, none of us would be able to do this job,” Nolan added.

“I also believe that we, as a local news station, have to be more than trends or sanitized news, because it makes people feel uncomfortable,” he continued.

“That’s why the facts matter, and that’s why we do what we do here. We have to take people out of their bubbles and comfort zones and make them think about the world we all live in.”

@kwqc.news

KWQC TV6 morning anchor Dustin Nolan announced on-air Friday that he’s leaving the station and stepping away from the news industry. Nolan thanked viewers for welcoming him into their mornings and said he’s worked to be transparent and deliver the facts, calling local news a public service to the Quad Cities. He also reflected on the importance of covering issues that matter, even when uncomfortable, and credited his wife Jenna—his co-anchor on the desk and “co-anchor in life”—along with other colleagues for their support. Nolan closed with a final sign-off to viewers: “Good day and goodbye.” quadcities iowanews anchorsignoff emotionalgoodbye kwqc local news dustinnolan gooddayandgoodbye

♬ original sound – KWQC News – KWQC News

The tearful anchor went on to praise his co-anchor — his wife Jenna — as the “greatest co-anchor in life.”

Nolan has worked at the Gray Media-owned station since November 2022, according to his LinkedIn.

After graduating from Catholic St. Ambrose University in Iowa, he began his career reporting sports in Wyoming for seven months before moving to Illinois, where he worked as a sports reporter at WQAD for nearly two years.

He later rose to a morning news anchor role at WFBF in Illinois, where he spent three years before joining KWQC.