Jullie O'Neill's recent absence from WCPO-TV's Good Morning Tri-State newscasts has become permanent.
The 27-year veteran chose to leave the station after being told she would no longer co-anchor weekday mornings with Adrian Whitsett.
"Julie O'Neill no longer is a member of our team. We made the decision to take her off the morning show as an anchor and spoke with her about a couple of different options moving forward," news director Barry Fulmer said in a personnel announcement to staffers.
"She decided to go ahead and leave the team," said Fulmer, hired from a Louisville station in January. "I want to thank Julie for her years of services to WCPO and the community and wish her the very best."
O'Neill declined to comment for this story.
Jeff Brogan, WCPO-TV vice president and general manager, said the station "just started the recruiting process and we will look at internal and external candidates (for morning co-anchor), like every other position we post." He would not say what options had been discussed with O'Neill. "I can’t talk about specific personnel matters," he said.
"I wish Julie the best in her next endeavor and thank her for the years she worked for us as a reporter and anchor," Brogan said.
WCPO-TV hired O'Neill in July 1995 from WSVN-TV in Miami, Fla. She was morning anchor in 2002 when replaced by Kathrine Nero, who moved from weekend sports anchor to the morning show. O'Neill returned to anchor mornings in 2018 when Nero was fired. She has also reported for WCPO-TV's investigative I-Team.
O'Neill started her career at WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, La., in 1991, while studying broadcast journalism at Louisiana State University. An accomplished singer, she started college by studying vocal performance at Centenary College of Louisiana (1986-87), then studied music theater at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (1988-89), before minoring in music at LSU (1990-1992).
O'Neill is the third anchor to depart WCPO-TV this year. Weekend sports anchor Keenen Singleton left in March, and news anchor Kristyn Hartman went home to Chicago in May. The station has added anchor Jasmine Styles from Tampa, and weekend anchor/reporter Bret Buganski from Wichita after weekend anchor Evan Millward moved to weekday evenings. Traffic reporter Sina Gebre-Ab took a TV job last spring in Baltimore, her hometown.
