The departures include Mark Austin, Jessie Degollado, Marilyn Moritz, Mike Osterhage, Ursula Pari and David Sears, all long-time familiar faces at the ABC affiliate. Mario Orellana, the station's news director, said he's grateful to have worked alongside the departing staffers, who count at least 179 years of TV news experience.
“The impact they have made on this industry, this city, and this newsroom is immeasurable,” Orellana said. “I have learned so much from them and am eternally grateful for the paths they have paved here at KSAT12."
The retirements follow the high-profile departure of KSAT sports anchor Greg Simmons, who resigned in early 2023 after picking up a DWI charge, and news anchor Isis Romero who announced in summer 2021 that she'd been fired.
KSAT plans to showcase each of the retiring journalists' accomplishments over the coming days, officials said. Austin, Osterhage and Pari have each been with the station for nearly 30 years, and Moritz had logged 39.
“It’s been a privilege to be welcomed into homes across South Texas for 28 years, and I am grateful every single day that KSAT12 gave me the chance to join this vibrant and diverse community," Pari said.
Degollado, a trailblazing Latina journalist known for championing the careers of others, said she's proud of the stories she covered for the station.
“Saying goodbye to my KSAT12 family of 40 years will be difficult, no doubt,” Degollado said. “Yet I am so proud of the work I've done covering stories that mattered to our viewers."
Sears, the longest-tenured of the departing journalists, said he's grateful for the opportunities he received. He started at the station in 1982.
"I have been given opportunities by management beyond expectations,” Sears said. “I cannot thank the viewers enough for allowing me into their homes and their daily lives. They treated me like family."
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