Isis Romero, 10 p.m. anchor for San Antonio’s KSAT 12, announces her firing on Facebook

click to enlarge Isis Romero joined the KSAT team in 2010. - INSTAGRAM / ISIS ROMERO

  • Instagram / Isis Romero
  • Isis Romero joined the KSAT team in 2010.

KSAT 12 anchor Isis Romero, one of the most visible faces in San Antonio TV news for more than a decade, announced in a Tuesday Facebook post that she’s been dismissed by the station.

The 10 p.m. anchor said the ABC affiliate opted not renew her contract, adding that her last day on air was July 12.

“As you can imagine, the past two weeks have been filled with tremendous sadness, and words cannot fully express my emotions,” Romero wrote. “I am heartbroken beyond measure. I enjoyed anchoring San Antonio’s #1 newscast for the past decade, and I especially took pride in representing my culture and community as the city’s most tenured Latina news anchor currently on English-language TV.”

In a statement emailed to the Current, KSAT Vice President and General Manager Phil Lane thanked Romero and said he wished her future success. 

“KSAT 12 has always strived for a workplace reflective of our vibrant and diverse community both in front of and behind the camera,” he said. “This is a cornerstone of our culture and will continue to be so.”

A person familiar with the station’s inner workings said that, as of early Tuesday afternoon, management hadn’t yet discussed Romero’s departure with staff.

“I don’t think anybody’s happy with the way this has played out,” said the person, who added that they were unclear why the station ended Romero’s contract.

A native of the Corpus Christi area, Romero came to San Antonio in 2010 and has spent 11 years on camera at KSAT. During that time, she produced a season of Up Close, a news magazine program that explored current events from first-person perspectives, and Conviction, a series on the 1998 murder of businessman Eddie Garcia, known as “The Bingo King” of San Antonio.

Romero also maintains a widely followed social media presence that includes family photos of her and husband Phil Anaya — an anchor at rival KENS 5 — and their three boys.

“I care so deeply about our viewers and our community — and though my role with KSAT has ended, my love for you, the people of San Antonio, has not stopped,” she said on Facebook. “I want to thank those of you who have supported me with your viewership these past 11 years, and for the incredible love and kindness you have shown me. I will be forever grateful.”

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