Monty, Kim, Warren and more: Fresno's TV news goodbyes pile up across every newsroom

It’s been a hectic few months for those following the Central Valley’s TV news scene, with a wave of retirements, departures, new hires and reassignments that hit all Fresno’s TV newsrooms in a way that is uncommon, if not unprecedented.

Here’s a look at where things stand.

Monty Torres retires with good news on his health

Longtime KMPH evening anchor Monty Torres made his retirement official in June, telling viewers in a nearly three-minute segment that he would not be returning to the Fox 26 news desk after more than 20 years with the station.

The news came with a silver lining. Torres, who took medical leave last October after a lung cancer diagnosis, said a biopsy of trace fluid from his lung showed “no malignant cells present” and that his symptoms had “nearly all disappeared.”

Since then, Torres has become part of the Still Here Network, posting short-form new content to social media and Youtube under the banner, News Now.

The station pulled his replacement, Vanessa Villafuerte, from CBS47.

She joins Madison Macay as co-anchor for the 10 p.m. newscast. “We kind of kept it a little bit of a secret for a while,” Villafuerte said in her official introduction to audiences last month.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the team.”

Kim Stephens steps away from Great Day

Kim Stephens — who helped launch KMPH’s Great Day with co-host Kopi Sortiopulos — is leaving the morning show Nov. 25 after 23 years. She had briefly moved to the evening desk to fill in for Torres, but returned to mornings in August only to announce her own exit.

She’s taking a full-time, tenure-track position at Fresno State’s Media, Communications and Journalism Department, where she’s been an adjunct since 2015. “Kopi and I are really proud of what we started,” Stephens said.

“And we’re proud to have it carried on.”

Sortiopulos retired in March after five decades as one of Fresno’s most iconic TV personalities.

Last week, the station announced it had hired Matt Otstot to co-anchor the morning show, along with Liz Gonalez and Justin Willis.

His first day is Nov. 30.

Warren Armstrong’s November retirement

Warren Armstrong — a fixture at ABC30 since 2000 and on KJEO Channel 47 before that — hosted his final live at the Big Fresno Fair newscast last month.

The news anchor is set to retire in November.

In August, the station announced Jason Oliveira would move from its morning show to replace Armstrong as co-anchor on the evening newscast.

The rest of the ABC30 shuffle

ABC30 has had the biggest of the newsroom shakeups, starting in June when sports director Stephen Hicks left after eight years. He moved to Southern California, where he married fellow TV journalist Hunter Sowards.

Sydney Berger took over as sports director.

Other chances at the station:

• Gabe Ferris departed for ABC’s Chicago station.
• Weather anchor Tiffany Olin joined FOX5 in Las Vegas.
• A.M. Live meteorologist Christina Gregory signed off Sept. 4 to return home to Buffalo, New York.

Jessica Harrington didn’t leave A.M. Live, though viewers had concerns she had, following an on-and-off absence over several weeks. In a social media video, she explained she had taken time to freeze her eggs. “Don’t worry, I’m back. I’m not leaving.”

Cory James, who left ABC30 in 2020 for stops in New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, returned to anchor A.M. Live and Midday. It felt like a homecoming. “Home is truly where you make it,” James said. “This is home for me.”

Grant Johnson, who has a master’s degree in investigative journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, joined ABC30 as a reporter in August.

This all came as a former director, filed a lawsuit against the station, alleging gender discrimination and a hostile workplace. A spokesperson for ABC-owned television stations had no comment, citing the ongoing matter.

CBS47 and KSEE24

The CBS47/KSEE 24 Nexstar duopoly also saw the departure of on-air talent this summer and fall.

Along with Villafuerte, who had been with CBS47 for more than a year-and-half at CBS47 and anchor on the afternoon broadcast before leaving for KMPH, the station lost Ben Morris (now in Portland, Maine), Briana Byus (to another Nexstar station outside California) and Jason Takhtadjian (to Armenian Sports News).

Longtime anchor Brian Dorman also left the station and has since joined the nonprofit Finding Kids as its first chief communications officer. “I’ve spent 21 years sharing stories with you,” he said, “and now I get to focus on one story, one mission.”

In another shakeup, Luis Cruz, who could previously be seen on KSEE24’s Sunrise and Midday shows, is now CBS47’s evening anchor alongside Kathryn Herr and Lauren Wallace.

Original stories by Joshua Tehee.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.