Stephanie Vigil is an iconic and top-notch news anchor. She exemplifies excellence in everything she does. However, the multi-award-winning journalist has now announced her exit from KHQ Local News after 25 long years. Stephanie Vigil is leaving KHQ-TV in Spokane, Washington, to explore a life beyond the newsroom. Her devoted viewers were already saddened by her sabbatical, and this news only makes it worse. Naturally, they are curious about her future plans and if she will be on TV again. Here’s what Stephanie Vigil has to say about her departure from KHQ Local News.
Stephanie Vigil’s Education and Career
Stephanie Vigil earned a BA in Media Communications from California State University-Sacramento in 1990. She started her professional career in 1993 at KOVR-TV CBS Sacramento, California.
In 1997, she relocated to Spokane, Washington, to join Dan Kleckner as a morning anchor on KHQ Local News. Both were promoted to the main anchor position in 2000, but Kleckner retired in 2021
Stephanie Vigil has won the Edward R. Murrow Award and several Emmys. She also won the award for best news anchor in the Inlander “Best of the Inland Northwest” Readers Poll for five years in a row. Moreover, Spokane Magazine has honored her as the city’s best news anchor for three consecutive years.
Another feather in her cap is that she received a master’s in 2013 from Gonzaga University. After that, Vigil worked as a part-time professor at Gonzaga until 2020.
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Stephanie Vigil to Leave KHQ
But now the anchor who quickly became Spokane’s most popular broadcaster has announced her departure. A recent sabbatical from her job convinced Vigil that she was ready to explore life beyond the newsroom.
Stephanie Vigil is leaving KHQ Local News to spend time with her two adult sons and launch a clothing company for the sport of pickleball, which she enjoys playing. Her last day on the air will be June 8, 2023.
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Furthermore, Vigil plans to keep in touch with her viewers on social media even after leaving the station.
One social media user asked, “Will you continue to update us like you did on you tube when on your sabbatical? I hope so. I can’t imagine never seeing you again”.
The veteran news anchor replied, “I definitely will! Never too far away!”
