Longtime Columbus TV anchor announces departure after decades on air
A familiar face on Columbus television is stepping away from the anchor desk. WBNS-TV 10TV News anchor Tracy Townsend announced she is leaving television news after more than 20 years at the station.
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Townsend shared the news Wednesday with viewers on 10TV News This Morning. Townsend joined 10TV in 2005 and has served as a news anchor, political reporter and medical correspondent. Before coming to Columbus, her television career included stops at WBBM-TV in Chicago, KCTV/KSMO in Kansas City and WKRC-TV in Cincinnati.
Townsend is also a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. During her more than two decades at 10TV, Townsend became one of the station’s most recognizable journalists, covering major stories while developing a particular focus on health and medical reporting.
That work became personal. Townsend is a breast cancer survivor who has shared her experience publicly and used her platform to advocate for awareness and early detection. Townsend’s tenure at 10TV also spanned a major change for 10TV. When she joined in 2005, the station was still locally owned by Dispatch Broadcast Group and the Wolfe family, which had founded the station in 1949.
That ended in 2019 when Dispatch Broadcast Group sold 10TV to Virginia-based TEGNA. The $535 million deal marked the end of the Wolfe family’s decades-long ownership of 10TV, shifting it to national ownership. In announcing her departure, Townsend reflected on the people and stories that have shaped her years in television news.
“For years, you’ve welcomed me into your homes, trusted me with your stories and allowed me to be part of your lives during moments of joy, heartbreak, triumph and uncertainty,” Townsend said. “That trust is something I do not take for granted.” Townsend said she will sign off Sept. 30.
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