So Long, Sasha

Reporter Sasha Rionda is leaving WKRC-TV on Friday, the third Channel 12 on-air person to depart in two weeks.

Rionda, 30, whose Spanish-language "Nuestro Rincon" weekend morning newscasts were canceled a year ago, is heading to Atlanta. The Mexico City native came to Channel 12 four years ago for "Nuestro Rincon," the city's first and only Spanish-language newscast.

"My husband and I are moving back to my second hometown of Atlanta, closer to our families," she says. And to be closer to CNN Espanol, where she has hosted "Detalles con Sasha," the network's monthly prime-time program about architecture, design, fashion and lifestyle trends.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/rionda.sasha.html

While at Channel 12, she also has commuted to Atlanta monthly to tape movie features for Cinecanal, the Latin American movie channel.

http://www.cinecanal.com/zoom/site/biografia/biografia.html

Rionda moves from Mexico to Atlanta with her parents in 1997, after she finished high school. She married John Scott Randall of North Carolina two years ago.

Last week, Channel 12's Steve Hortsmeyer and reporter Richard Jordan resigned. Horstmeyer leaves Monday to become chief meteorologist at WXIX-TV (Channel 19). He'll start on the Fox 19 10 p.m. news on August 7. Jordan, who speaks English and Spanish, will report for the Fox affiliate in Miami-Fort Lauderdale. He grew up in Miami, Fla.

So what's going on at Channel 12? Why three resignations days after Newport Television acquired Channel 12 and the other Clear Channel TV stations? Or is this just a coincidence?

"Yes, it's a coincidence that they’re leaving at roughly the same time," says Elbert Tucker, news director.

Will all three be replaced?

"The first step for us will be to look at options when our new general manager arrives," Tucker says. New GM Les Vann arrives Monday, April 7.