Because the ratings for “Ellen” have been terrible in Pittsburgh for several years, it was unsurprising this month when WTAE-TV announced a 4 p.m. newscast.

Similarly, with original episodes of “Judge Judy” ending on broadcast TV — she’ll have a new, similar show on free, ad-supported streamer IMDbTV in late 2021 — it was equally predictable Channel 11 will add a 4 p.m. newscast to compete with WTAE’s new newscast and KDKA-TV’s long-running 4 p.m. news, which began in 2002.

But what was more intriguing about WPXI’s announcement during the 6 p.m. newscast Tuesday is who will front it: Susan Koeppen, one-time WTAE-TV anchor who was laid off by KDKA-TV in May 2020.

In a phone interview Tuesday evening, Koeppen said she anticipates she might anchor solo. She said she’s thrilled to be reunited with meteorologist Stephen Cropper, with whom she worked at WTAE when both were assigned to weekend morning newscasts.

Koeppen also becomes one of the few Pittsburgh broadcasters to hit the trifecta, working at all of the Big Three stations like Eleanor Schano and Adam Lynch before her.

Koeppen said immediately after she was let go by KDKA, she had talks with WPXI and WTAE executives, but they had no spots available. So she moved on.

“Everything happens for a reason, and I just always knew everything was gonna be OK and I never gave myself another option,” Koeppen said. “I have a positive attitude about life and living it, and that really keeps me happy every day. And when something good like this comes along, I just think, ‘Wow, this is great.’ ”

Koeppen said she was “living my best life,” working weekends as a ski instructor and as a full-time mom to her three children, 12-15. When she was contacted by WPXI — “fairly recently; this hasn’t been a year in the making” — about anchoring at 4 p.m., it was the right job for her.

“The only way I was gonna return to TV news was for a 4 p.m. newscast, and the stars aligned,” Koeppen said, noting she still can see her kids off in the morning and be home in time for dinner. “I’ve been in TV since 1994, and I have been working crazy hours for years, and this is just the perfect scenario for me and my family.”

She also plans to continue as a ski instructor at Seven Springs on winter weekends.

Koeppen said she likes the 4 p.m. time for its ability to provide news of the day and a look ahead, and she’s “excited to get back in the swing of things” when the new newscast launches on Channel 11 on Sept. 13.

“I’ll get to dress up after spending a year hanging out in sweatpants and living the life of leisure,” she said. “It will be fun.”

Why did it take WPXI and WTAE 19 years to follow in KDKA’s footsteps? Contractual obligations likely prevented both stations from adding a 4 p.m. newscast sooner, and in the case of WPXI, “Judge Judy” served as a strong news lead-in, delivering eyeballs to Channel 11’s 5 p.m. newscast. That both stations had the ability to replace their 4 p.m. programming almost simultaneously is probably coincidence.

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