Peter Daut
Peter Daut is a six-time Emmy Award–winning journalist who solo anchors the 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. newscasts for KESQ News Channel 3. Since joining the station in 2020, he has become one of the Coachella Valley’s most trusted and recognizable storytellers.
Shortly after arriving, Daut launched the innovative and highly interactive series Coronavirus: Questions Answered, which earned an Emmy Award for Best Evening Newscast. He continues to lead in-depth interviews with newsmakers while delivering clear, insightful coverage on the issues shaping the region.
As a member of the I-Team, Daut has investigated some of the desert’s most pressing challenges — including homelessness, public safety and drug-related issues, border security, and environmental hazards. His reporting has been widely recognized: he earned the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award in 2023 for exposing dangerous arsenic levels in the drinking water of local migrant communities, and the California Golden Quill Award in 2022 for excellence in education reporting. In 2024, The Desert Sun named him “Best Reporter.”
Daut’s journalism career has taken him across the country. Before joining KESQ, he anchored and reported for KCBS/KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, where he covered some of the nation’s biggest stories. He was the lead reporter during the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, traveled to New York City for the 2016 presidential election, traveled to Colorado for an in-depth look at the impact of legalized recreational marijuana, and reported from Nevada on the parole hearing of O.J. Simpson. He also previously worked as an anchor and reporter in Dallas, Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Deeply committed to the community he calls his “happy place,” Daut is active with numerous Coachella Valley charities and organizations, and frequently emcees major galas and events. In 2025, he served as Community Grand Marshal of the Greater Palm Springs Pride Parade, and in 2024 he was honored with the Desert Above & Beyond Award for his philanthropic leadership.
He and his husband, David, live in La Quinta with their two rescue dogs, Moo and Milo.
