BILLINGS — If you tune in to Montana This Morning, you might notice something special about the team behind the desk — not just in what they do, but in who they are.
The show has a new anchor: Hailey Monaco.
Watch Rob Monaco speak about his daughter, new Montana This Morning anchor Hailey Monaco
And while she’s been a fresh face to morning viewers, she’s been part of the Q2 family for decades — quite literally.
That’s because Hailey is joining her father, Rob Monaco, who has been directing the morning newscast for roughly 30 years.
“I enjoy going to bed early,” Hailey said with a laugh, embracing the early morning routine.
For her, these early starts are nothing new.
“I think it’s kind of a thing of my childhood growing up,” she said.
Before she sat at the anchor desk, Hailey had a behind-the-scenes view of the show, tagging along with her dad at the station.
“Yes, I’ve always wanted to do this — from the moment I’d come in and see all the TV screens with my dad when I was just visiting,” she said.
Rob Monaco began his journey at KTVQ in 1986, when he was just 22 years old.
“The opportunity came up to be an intern and I jumped at it,” he said. “And I have not left the building since.”
He even helped launch the very newscast his daughter now anchors.
“The first anchor was Laura Thornquist,” Rob recalled. “I’ve had 13 morning anchors… Hailey is my 14th.”
Along the way, he built more than just a career — he built a family with a deep appreciation for the rhythm of newsroom life.
“I could always be home in the afternoon for my girls. Pick them up from school, make dinner,” Rob said.
Hailey remembers those days clearly.
“He would pick me up from daycare at ten o’clock in the morning… we’d hang out all day,” she said. “I thought him working here was the coolest thing ever.”
So when it came time to choose a college major, Hailey followed her heart — and her father’s footsteps — into journalism at the University of Montana.
“I think he wanted me to try something else, maybe. But I didn’t listen,” she said with a smile.
She started as a reporter at KTVQ, learning the grit of the business from her father, the man behind the monitors, who’s shown up every single day.
“You can’t just call in sick when you don’t feel good. Because who’s going to fill in for you?” she said. “He’s shown up every single day.”
That dedication left an impression. Rob’s steady hand helped guide her behind the scenes — and now into the spotlight.
“There are no words that can even begin…” Rob said, pausing with emotion. “She’s just blossomed into this amazing… amazing woman.”
And in the newsroom where Rob built his legacy, Hailey is now building her own.
“I’m just really excited to step into this role,” she said.
