MAX TARLTON

Max Tarlton is an Emmy-nominated journalist.

Max Tarlton has been the morning anchor and weather forecaster for WAKE UP at KION News Channel 5/46 since December 2019.

Throughout his time in the Monterey – Salinas – Santa Cruz market, Max has covered in-depth stories related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the historic California wildfires of 2020, local and national elections, marine life in the Monterey Bay, and agriculture on the Central Coast — known as the “Salad Bowl” and “The Garlic Capitol of the World.” He also investigates local and national concerns in his franchise, “Message Max.”

Previously, Max was an early morning anchor and traffic reporter at KMTV 3 News Now in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He helped bring awareness and change to area roads with his twice-weekly segment, “What’s Driving You Crazy?”

Prior to Omaha, Max was the morning anchor and executive producer for SUNRISE at KYMA News 11 in Yuma, Arizona. Max covered a variety of stories along the U.S./Mexico border, especially during the 2016 election. He also covered groundbreaking medical advancements in his weekly “Healthline 11” report.

Max holds a Broadcast Journalism degree from Columbia College Chicago. He started his career in local news as an entertainment & morning show intern at WGN News in Chicago, before being hired on as a per diem writer.