Regnier leaving as Ch. 13 anchor

Rebecca Regnier

Longtime WTVG-TV, Channel 13, reporter and anchor Rebecca Regnier is stepping down from her morning anchor duties.

Regnier, who co-anchors the top-rated 13abc Action News Good Morning with Jeff Smith and Sashem Brey, is leaving the news show Aug. 15 to spend more time with her family.

"My kids are in high school so I really want to be with them," she said. "I can do things with them now, but I'm so tired I'm in a fog most of the time."

Regnier, 39, said she wakes up at

2:45 a.m. and is at work by 4 a.m., but the after-school activities of her two sons keeps her busy until 10 p.m. most nights. "I just need to give myself a break. I've been going and going," she said, adding with a laugh, "I think sleep is totally underrated as part of your health."

Regnier will continue to produce and report WTVG's weekly People, Places and Things segment, which airs Fridays, and will help with the station's November election coverage, as well as produce a weekly report that is being developed for her.

Brian Trauring, WTVG news director, said Regnier's easy-going demeanor will be missed at the Disney-owned ABC affiliate.

"Clearly, she's a valuable anchor, but she does a lot more than that," Trauring said. "She's a great journalist and has a great instinct. She's also a really nice person, who's the same behind the scenes as she is on the air. She's got a great personality. We're going to miss that."

He said her departure was unexpected, but the station supports her decision. "We respect the fact that she has chosen to make a change based on what's best [for] her family," Trauring said. "But we're very pleased that she'll still continue with the broadcast."

WTVG will not replace Regnier, he said, but will return to a dual-anchor format for the Good Morning program.

Regnier joined WTVG 12 years ago as a reporter. She was promoted to weekend anchor and later to morning anchor, her dream job at the station.

"For me, becoming the morning anchor was the big goal," she said. "It wasn't a matter of sticking it out in terms of (promotions to) other jobs; it was the pinnacle."

With her final shift as morning anchor quickly approaching, Regnier said she's looking forward to her new life off-camera and with her family - though she's still not sure what she's going to do with all the extra time.

"I've worked my whole life full time, for the most part," she said. "I'll probably be going nuts. It'll be different, but I'm excited."

Contact Kirk Baird at:

kbaird@theblade.com

or 419-724-6734