TV anchor shakeups reflect a shifting news landscape in Phoenix.
In her last few months as a news anchor on 3TV/CBS 5’s Good Morning Arizona, Olivia Fierro would sometimes glance down at her phone during commercial breaks and see the daily social media rankings – an emailed list comparing engagement stats for every anchor and reporter in the market.
“Eventually, it got to the point where the numbers would come out during the newscast,” she recalls. “If you had bad numbers the day before, that could be kind of defeating. And you still had three more hours of show!”
The past two years have seen major shakeups in Phoenix TV news, and Fierro pins some of that on engagement fatigue.
Anchors today are no longer just delivering the news, she says. They’re also expected to be online content creators, lifestyle influencers and podcast hosts, building audience loyalty not just at the anchor desk but also in the algorithms.
“The bad news is I think there’s a bigger burnout factor in local news than there ever has been,” she says. “But the good news is you’re taking away a really broad range of skills that are applicable to so many other spaces.”
In 2023, Fierro stepped away from TV news to try just that. She now splits her time between media coaching, book club moderating, nonprofit work and promoting her husband’s Tequila Corrido brand – through her own new podcast, It’s the Tequila Talking.
“The news anchor job isn’t what it used to be,” says Javier Soto, who jumped from mornings on 3TV/CBS 5 to evenings at ABC15 in 2023. “We’re now called MMJs – mixed-media journalists. Our viewership is spread across platforms, and we have to be on all of them.”
Soto plays it safe on Facebook, Instagram and X, mostly reposting ABC15 news headlines without comment. “Neutrality still rules,” he says. “If you’re not gonna say it on air, you shouldn’t say it on your platforms.” His caution is well-founded: Former Fox 10 anchor Kari Lake became an SNL punchline after leaving TV news to enter conservative politics, ending her journalism career with failed runs for Senate and governor.
But Fierro says that’s often not the kind of content that draws the big stats. “People are not that responsive to news posts. What they want is your life, something personal.”
Chris Kline, president of the Arizona Media Association, says the departure of veteran anchors previously prized for building long-term viewer loyalty marks a generational shift, with newsrooms looking for younger, more social media-savvy personalities. “People still connect with anchors,” he says. “But today, those connections are built across platforms.”
Soto, for one, is up for the challenge. “In this job, you’re always on,” he says. “I just always try to be approachable. We live here. We shop here. We’re part of this place. That’s what keeps people watching.”
Anchors Away
Local TV news has experienced significant changes in recent years, with prominent anchors transitioning between stations or departing the industry.
Katie Raml
Veteran anchor Katie Raml did her final newscast on ABC15 on May 16, retiring after more than two decades with the station. “Katie stepped away to go focus on her family,” says her former desk mate Soto. Adds Kline, “She’s in a lucky position to be able to navigate that however she wants.”
Troy Hayden
After a 30-year tenure at Fox 10, Troy Hayden surprised many when he announced his departure in June 2024. He joined 12News in August 2024 – just in time for the NBC affiliate’s high-viewership Summer Olympics.
Renee Nelson
Renee Nelson’s exit from Fox 10 in August 2023 was abrupt and surrounded by speculation. Details are scant due to confidentiality agreements, but Nelson hinted at a “personal struggle” in an interview with The Arizona Republic, saying she “didn’t have the support” from the station. “I don’t know if she left the market or just left the business,” Kline says.
Steve Irvin
Steve Irvin served as a news anchor at ABC15 for nearly two decades, retiring in May 2022 after a heart attack scare, telling the Republic, “I didn’t want to die in the job.” Kline updates: “He went and bought a cabin on the East Coast, and he and his wife are living their best life.”
