Longtime Utah television news personalities Terry Wood and his wife Susan Wood were suddenly let go from KTVX Channel 4 on Monday, just hours before Terry Wood was supposed to anchor the day's news.

"They called me up to the office and called Susan up and said, 'We're terminating you,'?" Terry Wood said shortly after his firing. "They wouldn't give us a reason. It was just, 'We're going in a different direction.' They wouldn't say anything about anything."

Terry Wood, who was shocked by the news and described it like a "punch in the stomach," said he knows of at least one other KTVX employee -- who works in production -- that was laid off Monday.

KTVX general manager Matt Janquint confirmed the Woods were let go, saying, "We wish them the best in whatever they do." But he would not offer further comment on personnel matters.

The Woods were the weekend anchors for KTVX for about a year. Terry Wood, a familiar face with Utah viewers for nearly two decades, co-anchored the evening weeknight news but was demoted to reporter and weekend anchor in July 2007 after his controversial on-air stance against President Bush's proposed Divine Strake bomb test in the Nevada desert near Utah.

Terry Wood has been a veteran television news anchor, reporter and radio personality for 41 years, who has worked in the Salt Lake City market since 1971 -- except for a six-year stint at stations in Atlanta and New Orleans. He also worked as an anchor and reporter at KSL Channel 5 and KUTV Channel 2.

Susan Wood -- the two have been married about two years -- has been a reporter and co-anchor with KUTV and KTVX.

This is just the latest chapter in tough times for KTVX, with a newscast that has been at the bottom of the 10 p.m. weeknight ratings for nearly two years. Last year, news director Jon Fischer was let go, and the station's general manager, David D'Antuono, died due to complications from leukemia.

The station, formerly owned by media conglomerate Clear Channel, is now owned and operated by the Kansas-City based Newport Television.

In June, the station laid off more than two dozen employees. And in October, in another surprise move, longtime co-anchor Randall Carlisle was suddenly let go.

As for the future, Terry Wood said: "I have no idea," adding: "This is what I do. It's really what I know and what I love doing."