Originally posted Thursday, January 16, 2020 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Three months ago, speculation was rife that St. Louis anchor Courtney Bryant was coming to Fox 5 to replace Cynnée Simpson, who left abruptly last year after six years to pursue humanitarian work.
Apparently, that bit of news - first posted by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - was accurate.
Today, Bryant debuted on Fox 5 at the 5 p.m. newscast and will also co-anchor 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
"I'm excited to be here," Bryant said at 5:30 p.m. to co-anchor Tom Haynes and chief meteorologist David Chandley. "I look forward to get to know this area, get to know people and you guys."
She had been at KMOV-TV in St. Louis for four years. She coincidentally filled the spot left behind by Sharon Reed, who left St. Louis for CBS46 in 2015. Reed departed CBS46 in May, 2019, and has not found another broadcast job.
Bryant grew up in Los Angeles and graduated Pepperdine University in 2012, according to her Linkedin profile. Before St. Louis, she worked at a station in Bakersfield, Calif.
At KMOV-TV, Courtney covered the 2016 presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at Washington University, and led extended breaking news coverage of area-wide unrest following the acquittal of St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley, according to her new Fox 5 bio.
Her arrival comes the same week rival Channel 2 Action News brought in its new male anchor Jorge Estevez. He is now doing the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts for WSB-TV.
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