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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWRTV-TV Channel 6 has parted ways with two news anchors.
Late-afternoon and evening anchor Candice Aviles and evening and Sunday morning anchor Jason Fechner both left the Indianapolis station this month.
Fechner said on his Facebook page that his last broadcast with WRTV was Sunday.
He came to WRTV in May 2015 and co-anchored the station’s 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. news. He also anchored WRTV’s “Indianapolis This Week” show Sunday mornings.
Fechner, a Chicago-area native who graduated from Valparaiso University, lists on his LinkedIn page that he is a consultant of public relations for Indiana University Health.
“Jason Fechner has left the building. We just did our last newscast together, and now he's off to create the next chapter in his life … out of the TV News biz,” Fechner’s WRTV co-anchor Ericka Flye posted on Facebook last week. “He’s one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and I'm blessed we'll always be friends!”
A source said Fechner had recently inquired with at least one other local station about available jobs.
Before joining WRTV, Fechner spent nine years as an anchor, reporter and producer at WQAD-TV, a Tribune Broadcasting station in Moline, Illinois.
Fechner could not be reached for comment.
Unlike Fechner, Aviles is staying in the television news business. On her Twitter account, Aviles said she started at WTSP-TV in Tampa, Florida, this week.
Aviles will be working as a weekend evening anchor for WTSP and as a multimedia and field reporter during the week, an industry source said. As a multimedia reporter, Aviles will be “a one-man-band,” the source said, shooting her own video footage and also appearing on camera.
“Tampa is a bigger TV market than Indianapolis so that would be a move up for her,” said Rick Gevers, president of Rick Gevers & Associates, a local firm that represents on-air TV news personalities.
Aviles, a Chicago native and University of Southern California graduate, was hired in April 2015 to co-anchor WRTV’s new 4 p.m. show, “The Now Indy,” with Rafael Sanchez. She also anchored other early-evening newscasts on WRTV.
Prior to joining WRTV, Aviles worked as a host with ABC's Creative Content Division and KCET-TV in Los Angeles.
“Candice Aviles and Jason Fechner were both tremendous assets to the RTV6 team and we enjoyed working with them for the past two years. … We wish them both the very best,” said WRTV News Director Terri Cope-Walton in an email to IBJ.
Cope-Walton said the station would hire someone to replace Fechner. Reporter and anchor Beth Vaughn is now co-hosting "The Now Indy."
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