Michael Courier (far right in grey suit) stands for a photo with KVUE anchors and reporters in Austin, Texas.
Michael Courier/Courtesy of Michael Courier
Central Texas television news reporters are on the move in and out of the Lone Star State. Whether they’re leaving the airwaves or accepting a new job in a bigger market at an affiliate station, Austin has been full of TV news over the past year.
The Austin-area is home to four main TV news stations: KXAN (NBC affiliate), KVUE (ABC affiliate), CBS Austin and FOX 7 Austin. All of the stations have seen some changes from reporters getting engaged to longtime anchors retiring.
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Here’s a roundup of all the TV news shakeups in Austin so far in 2026:
Shake-ups at TV stations across Texas in March brought new faces to Austin and Corpus Christi, as well as a career pivot for one former San Antonio anchor.
Courtesy of Madison Myers, Stephanie Serna, KIII
KXAN
In February, KXAN weekend anchor Nabil Remadna got engaged to her fiancée Anne Nicholson, whose the executive producer for CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. Although the couple work at two different “rival” stations, the pair met and fell in love.
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Two months later, KXAN welcomed a new meteorologist Hannah Gard in April. She stepped in behind Rich Segal, who spent 45 years on air as a meteorologist before retiring.
In March, former KXXV reporter Madison Myers made the jump from Waco to KXAN in Austin. She is now a multimedia journalist for the station.
In early July, former sports anchor and reporter Blake Holland announced his new role as KXAN’s Streaming Anchor and Digital Producer. Holland was previously a reporter at a TV station in the Rio Grande Valley.
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That same month, bilingual reporter anchor and reporter Esmeralda Zamora signed off from Austin’s KXAN. She’s since become a social and community manager at MAX.Live, where she represents the South Texas Ford Dealers online and at community events.
A few months later, former New Mexico-based reporter, Ann Pierret, joined KXAN in September. The award-winning journalist is now a part of a part of the station’s Emmy Award-winning investigative team.
The two met about four years ago on a dating app — a tale Rucker calls a “modern love story.”
Courtesy of Jessie Rodriguez
KVUE
In February, KVUE anchor Hannah Rucker got engaged to her fiancé — University of Texas rugby coach Van Stewart. The couple met four years ago and are now planning a wedding in Texas.
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That same month, KVUE added a new reporter, José Alonzo, but said goodbye to meteorologist Grace Thornton. She is now a meteorologist for WUSA9 News in Washington, DC.
In July, Austin’s KVUE welcomed Shay Lawson, a multimedia journalist who won an Emmy for her work at KESQ in Palm Springs, California. She is now a full-time reporter at the station.
In September, Brandon Schaff, a former sports anchor and news reporter at KIII in Corpus Christi, announced he would be reuniting with his meteorologist fiancée in Austin. Schaff joined the city’s ABC affiliate station, KVUE, as a reporter.
Last but not least, former KVUE reporter Michael Courier recently announced he landed a new TV gig in his home state in October. He’s now a new reporter and anchor role with the ABC-affiliated TV station, WZZM in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Nightside reporter Katie Pratt sits behind an anchor desk at Fox 7 Austin.
Katie Pratt/Courtesy of Katie Pratt
CBS Austin
In August, CBS Austin laid off two anchors in a restructuring move from Sinclair Broadcast Group. Anchor John-Carlos Estrada, alongside traffic anchor Jenna Wilson, have been identified were impacted by the shakeup.
In September, former West Texas reporter Brenna Gibbons revealed she’d be joining CBS Austin as a multimedia journalist. Gibbons was formerly a reporter at KTXS News 12, an ABC affiliate station in Abilene.
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FOX 7
In May, FOX 7’s Dennis De la Peña moved from being the station’s sports director to hosting its digital first Austin Live shows. You can watch him weekdays from 11:30 to noon and from 4 to 5 p.m.
In late August, Former FOX 7 reporter Katie Pratt announced her departure from the news station after two years behind the screen. However, she’s still planning on staying in Texas.
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The following month, in September, FOX 7 anchor Mike Warren retired after 37 years of working in journalism. Warren, who spent a majority (22 years) of his career at FOX 7, was the evening anchor on weekdays.
A week later, the news station gained a new addition, Julieanna Jackson. She is currently a morning reporter for FOX 7.