TV shakeups across Texas in September saw layoffs and longtime anchors leaving the air, as well as big promotions and new welcomes.
Courtesy KABB, Leigh Waldman, Bryan and Michelle Hofmann
It’s been another eventful month for TV stations across Texas, with layoffs, new faces, and bittersweet exits. Here’s the news you may have missed in September.
KXAN adds investigative journalist Ann Pierret in Austin
Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist Ann Pierret joined KXAN this month, moving from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Austin. KXAN Investigates is Central Texas’ largest investigative unit, according to its website. The team is made up of several award-winning journalists and covers immigration, the drownings in Lady Bird Lake, TxTag troubles, healthcare and more.
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“Having admired her work for years, we can’t wait to collaborate with such a talented journalist,” KXAN Director of Investigations and Innovation Josh Hinkle wrote on Instagram. “Ann brings a wealth of experience and insight from our sister station in Albuquerque, and we’re excited to see the impactful stories she will uncover here in Austin.”
KSAT 12’s new time slot uses AI voice
KSAT 12 launched a 30-minute time slot this month, but it’s pretty untraditional. The Rundown is anchorless, featuring live local weather and reporter stories from the field and airing at 1 p.m. on weekdays with a 5:30 p.m. streaming-only counterpart. However, it uses an AI voice for some story teases, a spokesperson told MySA. The station called the new broadcast “content led,” adding that a human will still approve the AI teases.
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“Our newsroom, just like many other companies and industries, uses AI to help our teams,” the spokesperson told MySA. “The goal of this added newscast is to meet people at a time that works for them with new anchor/reporter content stories of the day that matter to them. It also helps differentiate KSAT by bringing our team’s content to more people.”
Married former KRIS 6 couple Bryan and Michelle Hofmann move to Kentucky
Weeks after KRIS 6 laid off multiple staff in Corpus Christi, married Sunrise anchor couple Bryan and Michelle Hofmann have found a new home far from the Coastal Bend. They’ve landed in Louisville, Kentucky, but only one will return to the airwaves — although Bryan said the two “got lucky” with where they landed.
“For the first time in eight years since Brian and I have been together, we’re no longer going to be coworkers,” Michelle told MySA on September 8. She now anchors Spectrum News 1’s evening newscast, which airs across Kentucky, a position she said she never imagined filling. Meanwhile, Bryan is the new executive director of marketing for Center Podium, a professional fitness and bodybuilding competition organizing company. The couple has some expertise in bodybuilding, as Michelle has competed for years.
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Jasmin Caldwell joins KWTX from rival station KCEN
After almost a decade at KCEN in Temple, history-making anchor Jasmin Caldwell moved to KWTX, just up Interstate 35 in Waco. She was off-air for about a month before returning to Central Texas TV screens on September 8. Calwell will report from the field during the week and sit in the anchor chair for weekend evening shows, telling MySA she’s “incredibly excited and eager to begin this new chapter of my career at KWTX.”
“Cheers to new beginnings!” she wrote via text. “I truly believe KWTX is the right station for me, not only to continue doing the work I love, but also to learn, grow and become an even stronger journalist. I’ll have the opportunity to work alongside some of the best journalists in Central Texas, and I’m looking forward to everything we will accomplish together as a team. After years of serving and telling the stories of this community, I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue that work in a new way.”
Alex Garcia, Chuck Miketinac off-air amid KABB and News 4 layoffs
Longtime KABB Chief Meteorologist Alex Garcia and Sports Director Chuck Miketinac have been off-air all month following layoffs at the local Sinclair stations. Both KABB and News 4 were affected by the layoffs, though a Sinclair spokesperson declined to reveal details about their scope. Both were on-air for decades, becoming two of the Alamo City’s most recognizable broadcast personalities.
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“WOAI and KABB are committed to positioning the stations for long-term sustainability and we have made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of positions in our content center [newsroom],” the Sinclair spokesperson said earlier this month. “These changes will allow us to operate more efficiently and continue delivering exceptional local news and content to San Antonio viewers. We thank those affected for their contributions to the stations and the community.”
FOX 7 sees longtime anchor’s retirement, adds new reporter
FOX 7 gave longtime anchor Mike Warren a send-off into retirement on September 10, celebrating his 22 years at the station and 37 in journalism. Warren spent most of his career at the station as the weekday evening anchor at 5, 6, 9, and 10 p.m. He will fill his retirement with golfing and traveling with family.
“It’s been a real pleasure, especially to do stories focused on veterans,” Warren said during a roundtable with colleagues after the broadcast. “We’ve always tried to give a voice to that community and I was glad to be apart of that.”
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At the same time, FOX 7 welcomed morning reporter Julieanna Jackson from KCEN in Temple. The Central Texas TV station was her first job after graduating from the University of Mississippi in 2024, and she covered topics like education, ranching, data centers, crime and others. Now, viewers can watch her in Austin starting at 5 a.m. on weekdays.
“I’m so excited to join the @fox7austin team as their Morning Reporter,” she announced on social media. “The station has welcomed me with open arms, and I can’t wait to continue covering what’s most important to Texans. Let’s do this!!!!”
After KIII exit, reporter Lidia Herrera joins KRGV
A familiar face for Coastal Bend viewers is back on TV in the Rio Grande Valley. Reporter Lidia Herrera spent two years at KIII in Corpus Christi before leaving in May. However, she announced her first day as a KGRV news reporter on September 14 amid a whirlwind summer of shake-ups at the station. The RGV’s strong sense of community had her excited to get to work there, she told MySA.
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“That really stood out to me because, as a reporter, I want to do more than tell stories—I want to be part of the community I’m serving and get involved,” Herrera said. “The KRGV news team has so many talented professionals I can learn from and continue growing alongside.”
Former KSAT 12 investigative reporter Leigh Waldman makes major CNN move
Although Leigh Waldman left the Alamo City in 2024, she hasn’t exactly been off-air. She moved to CNN Newsource, where her reports aired on CNN affiliate stations across the country. Now, Waldman has been promoted to CNN correspondent, a jump to the primary network that will take her from New York City to Los Angeles. Waldman was an investigative reporter with KSAT from 2021 until 2024, spending over a year on the Nightbeat team and even launching a true crime podcast with longtime court reporter, Erica Hernandez.
In a statement to MySA, Waldman wrote, “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining our CNN bureau in LA. We’ve got some of the most incredible journalists in the world who are focused on telling fact based, compelling stories that make an impact on people’s lives. To be able to join them is truly the joy of my life.” Her first day is October 12.
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CBS Austin says goodbye to sports anchor, welcomes new reporter
After two years at CBS Austin but almost a decade in Texas, sports anchor and reporter Darby Brown is headed back to her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. She’ll be joining the sports team at 12News and said heading back to Phoenix was always her goal. Her last day at CBS Austin was September 28, and she moves to 12News on October 5.
“I just feel really, really, really grateful for … the journey I’ve been on and people embracing me,” she told MySA, adding that she’s appreciated the mentorship of CBS Austin sports director Bob Ballou. “I’m excited to take what I’ve learned here and take it back home.”
Earlier this month, CBS Austin added a fresh face to its lineup. Multimedia journalist Brenna Gibbons joined the station from KTXS in Abilene, marking a major news-market jump. KTXS was her first job after graduating from Texas State University in San Marcos. Originally from Prosper, Gibbons told MySA that returning to Central Texas with CBS Austin “feels extra special.”
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“My first few days here have been amazing!” she said. “Everyone has been so welcoming and kind, and I’m so excited to start sharing the stories that matter to this community!”
Former KIII reporter Brandon Schaff returns to Texas at KVUE
Former KIII reporter Brandon Schaff announced a return to Texas in September after a year-long detour at WTHR in Indianapolis. He’s headed to KVUE, Austin’s ABC affiliate, to reunite with his fiancée — former KIII meteorologist Kristin Walla. The two met in Corpus Christi, and Walla made the jump from KIII to the Capital City in May.
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“My next chapter takes me back to Texas. I’ll be rejoining my fiancée as a reporter at KVUE in Austin. I can’t wait to call the Lone Star State home again!” Schaff said. The Chicago native and Indiana University Bloomington alum added, “I’ll always appreciate the Hoosier hospitality everyone showed me while I was here. I’ll be a Hoosier for life!”