TAMPA (WFLA) – After 26 years at WFLA News Channel 8 and 36 years in television news, longtime anchor and journalist Stacie Schaible will leave the station in January.
Schaible joined WFLA in January 2000 and has built a highly successful career covering the people, stories and defining moments of the Tampa Bay region. She currently anchors News Channel 8’s top-rated 6 p.m. newscast. During her tenure, she helped launch First at 4 in 2013 and, more recently, WFLA News Now at 11 a.m. Earlier this year, News Now received a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation.
Among the highlights of Schaible’s career have been covering some of Tampa Bay’s biggest sports moments, including the Lightning’s Stanley Cup championship runs, both Buccaneers Super Bowl victories and the Tampa Bay Rays’ World Series appearances. She has also interviewed prominent newsmakers and celebrities, including President George W. Bush, Dolly Parton, Jimmy Fallon, Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Brady. For many years, she also led the station’s 8 On Your Side consumer problem-solving unit, helping viewers resolve their consumer problems.
“Stacie has had an extraordinary career, and her impact on WFLA and the Tampa Bay community cannot be overstated,” said Mark Higgins, General Manager of WFLA News Channel 8. “She is an exceptional journalist who has consistently demonstrated excellence in reporting, storytelling and connecting with our viewers. After 26 years at WFLA, her longevity and accomplishments speak for themselves. I am personally grateful for everything Stacie has contributed to this station and to our community, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to work alongside her. She leaves WFLA having built a remarkable legacy and a career defined by professionalism, compassion, and excellence.”
Beyond the newsroom, Schaible has been deeply involved in the Tampa Bay community. She has supported numerous local charities as an emcee and moderator and has been particularly committed to the American Heart Association, serving on its local board and being very involved in its annual Heart Walk. With WFLA’s support, she has helped raise nearly $1 million for the organization over the past 20 years.
Schaible said her decision to leave WFLA was not easy but that she is ready for a new chapter. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, but my gut tells me the time is right,” Schaible said. “I am enormously grateful to WFLA management for wanting me to stay but also for understanding that there is more I want to accomplish outside of TV news.
”Schaible’s connection to Tampa Bay is deeply personal. Both of her children were born in the area, and she credits WFLA with supporting her and her family through many important chapters of their lives.
“WFLA has been such an important part of my life and my family’s life,” Schaible said. “I will always be grateful to the station for supporting me not only as a journalist, but also as the mother I wanted to be.”
Schaible emphasized that she does not consider her departure a retirement. “I’m just ready to make room for some of the other things I still want to pursue,” Schaible said.
Schaible’s final day on air will be Tuesday, January 5, 2027.