MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
WICHITA — Sterling native and 12 News anchor and reporter Max Dutton is leaving Kansas to continue his television career in San Antonio, Texas.
Dutton announced Friday that he will join KSAT 12, the ABC affiliate in San Antonio, as an anchor and reporter. The move will mark the first time he has lived outside Kansas.
“It’s bittersweet, but the industry that I’m in now, really to propel in this profession, you kind of have to bounce around markets and keep climbing,” Dutton said during an interview on the BW Morning Show. “So that’s what I’m doing right now while I’m young and still have those opportunities ahead of me.”
Dutton grew up in Sterling and attended Baker University. He said Hutchinson was a frequent destination during his childhood for shopping, entertainment, the Kansas State Fair and theater productions.
His parents have deep ties to education and the arts in Sterling. His mother, Betsy Dutton, taught at Sterling High School for 40 years and coached debate and forensics while directing theater productions. The school’s theater now bears her name. His father is the Executive Director for the Arts at Sterling College.
Dutton said his family played a major role as he considered opportunities across the country. San Antonio’s relative proximity to Kansas was one factor in his decision.
“I had to find a place that I think is still just a weekend drive away, someplace that I could still get home when I need to,” he said.
Dutton has spent nearly four years at 12 News in Wichita. His work has taken him across Kansas, including serving as host of the Miss Kansas competition in Pratt.
He said the relationships he developed with viewers and people he met while covering stories are among the highlights of his time at the station.
“The people here, I think, are what makes Kansas special,” Dutton said. “Every story that I’ve been out covering in Kansas, people really want to connect with you. They remember you.”
In addition to his television career, Dutton has remained involved in theater. He recently portrayed Corny Collins in Music Theatre Wichita’s production of “Hairspray” at Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center.
Dutton described the role as a dream come true and a fitting conclusion to his time in Wichita. He has appeared in seven professional productions in the area.
Despite the move, Dutton said he plans to remain active on social media and continue sharing updates with his Kansas audience.
“I would love to be back in Kansas at some point in my life and would love to set my roots here,” Dutton said. “But for now, I’m going to chase this and see where I can go in the TV news industry.”
Dutton said he hopes Kansas viewers remember him for bringing humor and authenticity to television while also covering difficult news.
“I just hope I could put a smile on their face in the mornings, make them laugh,” he said. “Kansas, of course, will always be home.”