Sinclair Broadcast Group confirmed changes to the format of CBS Austin This Morning in a statement to MySA on Thursday, August 6. Starting in mid-September, the station will debut an updated version of This Morning without its two anchors, John-Carlos Estrada and Jenna Wilson. Sinclair Broadcast Group said the update is “designed to better serve our audience while continuing to deliver the local journalism and community coverage our viewers expect,” adding that they are “grateful to the talented employees whose positions were impacted and thank them for their contributions to the newscast.”
In a post on Instagram, Estrada said he’s finally able to sleep in after coming to CBS Austin seven years ago. As for Wilson, she joined CBS Austin about a year ago.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to tell stories across Central Texas and, most importantly, to connect with all of you. Thank you for every message, story tip, interview, and word of encouragement along the way,” Estrada wrote.
Estrada is in the midst of writing a book about Barbette, a renowned performer from Round Rock who, despite dazzling Europe in the 1920s and ’30s and making a mark on film, has largely been pushed out of the spotlight. His book aims to be the definitive biography (a difficult task, as Barbette’s story gets hard to nail down) and has taken him all over Austin, New York City and Paris. In the August 7 post, Estrada said this new chapter after CBS Austin has him “excited to have the time to finish my upcoming book with UT Press and continue the documentary work that has become such an important part of my life.”
“Austin is home, so you’ll still see us around town with the Frenchies! Thank you for all the recent messages,” he concluded. “I truly appreciate the love.”