If you noticed Stacia Naquin was suddenly gone from ABC 6 and FOX 28, you’re not alone. A lot of Columbus viewers had the same question. One day she was a familiar face on the evening news, and then — she wasn’t. That kind of thing can feel jarring, especially when someone has been part of your daily routine for years.
So let’s walk through what actually happened: why she left WSYX, what she said about it, where she went next, and what the whole story tells us about how local TV news really works.
Who Stacia Naquin Is and Why Columbus Viewers Noticed Her Gone
Stacia Naquin spent about eight years as an anchor at WSYX — the station that runs ABC 6 and FOX 28 in Columbus. That’s a long time to be a familiar face in someone’s living room.
She co-anchored multiple newscasts: ABC 6 News at 5, 6, 7, and 11 p.m., plus FOX 28 News at 10. If you watched any Columbus evening news with any regularity, there’s a solid chance you saw her regularly.
After eight years, she had built real credibility with local viewers. So when she was no longer on air, people noticed — and naturally, they started asking questions. Some viewers even posted on Reddit saying they felt she had “just disappeared with no explanation.” That reaction makes sense, even though there actually was a formal goodbye. Not everyone watches the exact newscast where a sign-off happens, and not everyone follows station social media pages closely.
She Left on Her Own Terms — Not Under a Cloud
Let’s get to the most common concern first: was she fired, or did she leave on her own?
Everything points clearly to the latter. Stacia Naquin stepped down from the anchor desk. There are no reports — from any credible source — of a firing, a dispute, or any kind of controversy surrounding her departure.
WSYX gave her a warm, public on-air farewell segment. Colleagues shared appreciative messages that felt genuine, not like the kind of stiff corporate send-off you’d expect if things had gone sideways. Her own Facebook post was full of gratitude and forward-looking energy — not the kind of tone you’d expect from someone who’d been pushed out.
The Reddit threads wondering if something went wrong? That’s understandable, but speculation isn’t the same as fact. What the actual coverage shows — from the Columbus Dispatch, from WSYX’s own farewell content, and from her personal post — is a clean, professional departure with no drama attached.
The Real Reason She Left WSYX
So if nothing was wrong, why leave after eight years?
The honest answer is: a new opportunity came along, and she took it. That’s really the core of it.
Coverage from the Columbus Dispatch in early January 2025 framed her exit as a career move — not a retreat from journalism, just a change in direction. Her own messaging focused on gratitude toward viewers and colleagues, along with excitement about what was coming next. There was no hint of burnout, conflict, or dissatisfaction in anything she said publicly.
It’s also worth noting what we don’t know. No specific contract details, salary figures, or internal conversations have been made public. Anyone claiming to know the exact private reasons behind her decision would just be guessing. What we do know is that she was ready for something new — and something new was ready for her.
Eight years at one station is genuinely a long run in local TV news. It’s not unusual for experienced anchors to reach a point where they want a different challenge or a different role. That appears to be exactly what happened here.
Where She Went After WSYX — and the Twist That Followed
Here’s where the story gets a little more interesting.
Shortly after leaving WSYX, Stacia Naquin joined Cleveland’s WKYC-TV — but not in the way you might expect. She didn’t pack up and move to Cleveland. She stayed right in central Ohio and took on a role as a Statehouse reporter, covering Ohio government and politics for the Cleveland station while remaining Columbus-based.
It’s a hybrid setup that’s becoming more common in TV news. A reporter with strong Ohio Statehouse knowledge working remotely for a station that needs that coverage — it makes practical sense for both sides. Geography and job titles don’t always line up neatly anymore.
But then came the twist. About seven months into her time with WKYC, she was recruited back to Columbus — this time to anchor at WBNS 10TV, a Tegna-owned CBS affiliate and one of the top local news stations in the market. Her on-air debut at 10TV was expected in late July 2025.
Think about what that timeline says. She left WSYX, took a reporting role with a Cleveland station, and within seven months, a competing Columbus station came calling with an anchor position. That’s not a story about someone fading out of local news. That’s a story about someone whose value in this market was recognized pretty quickly.
Why Anchor Moves Like This Are Normal in Local TV News
If you’re not in the media business, the whole sequence — WSYX to Cleveland to 10TV — might seem a little dizzying. But this kind of movement is genuinely common in local TV news.
Think of it a bit like free agency in sports. Contracts run out. Other teams — or in this case, other stations — make offers. Anchors build personal followings that travel with them. And the audience, like sports fans, often follows their favorite “players” to whatever team they’re on now.
Columbus has a competitive local TV market. WSYX/ABC 6, WBNS 10TV, WCMH, and others are all competing for viewers, and talent is a big part of how they do that. When a well-known anchor becomes available, other stations pay attention.
The Columbus Dispatch actually noted — with a bit of a knowing wink — that in “true Columbus TV fashion,” it wouldn’t be surprising if Stacia ended up at 10TV. That comment was made when she joined WKYC. And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.
Understanding this helps put her departure from WSYX in the right frame. It wasn’t a crisis for her career. It was a move — a deliberate, strategic one — that led fairly quickly to a new anchor chair at a major Columbus station.
If you’re curious about how careers and business decisions intersect in industries like media, Wise Business Guide covers those kinds of topics in a straightforward, practical way.
What This Means for Columbus Viewers
If you were a regular WSYX viewer who missed Stacia Naquin after she left, the good news is she didn’t go far — and she didn’t go quiet.
Her move to 10TV means Columbus viewers will have the chance to see her back on the anchor desk at a familiar local station. The specifics of her role and schedule at 10TV will become clearer once she settles in, but the headline is simple: she’s back in Columbus local news.
As for WSYX, losing a longtime anchor always creates a gap — in terms of on-screen presence and viewer familiarity. Those openings tend to trigger broader reshuffling across the market as stations move people around and bring in new faces. It’s part of how local news keeps evolving.
The Short Version, If You Just Want the Facts
- Stacia Naquin spent about eight years anchoring at WSYX/ABC 6 and FOX 28 in Columbus.
- She stepped down from the anchor desk in early 2025 — no firing, no scandal, no controversy.
- She joined Cleveland’s WKYC-TV as a Statehouse reporter, while staying in central Ohio.
- About seven months later, she was hired to anchor at WBNS 10TV, a Tegna-owned CBS affiliate in Columbus.
- Her debut at 10TV was expected in late July 2025.
- The whole arc reflects normal career movement in local TV news — competitive, fast-moving, and driven by talent value.
There’s no hidden drama here. Just a well-regarded anchor making a career move, landing somewhere new, and then landing back where her audience knows her best. That’s a pretty solid story on its own.
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