Wendy Bell is back in the news broadcasting business, this time coming to you live via AM radio during your afternoon commute. KDKA-AM News Radio 1020 announced Thursday that it has hired Bell — the former WTAE-TV news anchor fired over a controversial Facebook comment in 2016 — as part of its on-air team in 2019. Beginning Jan. 3, Bell will serve as a midday host and afternoon drive host alongside KDKA veteran Marty Griffin, who recently returned to work following treatment for throat cancer. "KDKA is a powerhouse radio station, and Marty Griffin is a trusted friend who, like me, loves helping people," Bell said in a news release. "Spending four hours a day with a team that truly cares about this city is a tremendous honor, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve our listeners." Bell, a 21-time Emmy and five-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner, has maintained a strong social media presence with thousands of supporters rallying behind her following her firing in March 2016 amid outcry over a post labeled as insensitive and racist. "There’s nothing more painful than being called — internationally — an ugly, ugly word," Bell told the Tribune-Review in February 2017. "Being called a racist is absolutely awful. I went through a very dark phase of life and came out on the other side." Last year, Bell launched a new online community, PositivelyWendyBell.com , focused on putting positive spins on news and sharing "the good that is out there." RELATED: Former WTAE-TV anchor Wendy Bell wants to talk about ‘the good stuff ’ WTAE fired Bell for an online comment she posted following the March 9, 2016 massacre of five people and an unborn child in a backyard barbecue ambush in Wilkinsburg. Bell speculated in that post about the race and family background of the shooters and contrasted that profile with her recent encounter with a black busboy. In a 2016 post that was later edited, then deleted from a Facebook fan page, Bell wrote: "You needn’t be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago Wednesday. … They are young black men, likely teens or in their early 20s. They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs." In the same post, she said she was given "hope" by a hardworking black busboy at a South Side Works restaurant who "moved like a dancer with a satisfied smile on his face. … He’s going to make it." RELATED: Wendy Bell’s discrimination lawsuit against WTAE settled The post, the company’s delayed reaction and Bell’s subsequent firing drew widespread public criticism on social media. In June 2016, Bell sued WTAE its parent company Hearst Stations Inc. in June 2016 , claiming racial discrimination. She claimed through her attorney that she wouldn’t have been fired for her comments if she were not white. The lawsuit was settled in January but the terms were not disclosed. Lynne Hayes-Freeland career comes full circle Also on Thursday, the station announced it has hired seasoned broadcast journalist Lynne Hayes-Freeland to host the midday slot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For Hayes-Freeland, an award-winning reporter, producer and talk show host for KDKA-TV since 1977, the role marks a return to radio. She started her career as a producer for KDKA News Radio in 1976. "Radio is a perfect place to learn, explore and grow, and I look forward to the chance to do just that with listeners just as curious as me every day," Hayes-Freeland said in a statement. The station also announced that it’s extending its weekday news coverage to 8 p.m. and plans to add local morning newscasts on weekends. Here’s the new weekly lineup: 6 to 10 a.m. — Larry Richert and John Shumway 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Lynne Hayes-Freeland 2 to 6 p.m. — Marty Griffin and Wendy Bell 6 to 10 p.m. — Robert Mangino (Wednesday through Friday) 8 to 11 p.m. — Rob Pratte (Monday, Tuesday) News Radio 1020 KDKA is affiliated with RADIO.COM, a digital platform with more than 300 stations and 1,100 podcasts. RADIO.COM is part of Philadelphia-based media and entertainment company Entercom, one of the nation’s largest radio broadcasters with majority coverage in the nation’s top 50 markets. Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or via Twitter @NewsNatasha. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.