Rockford News Anchor Kristin Crowley is Leaving WREX

For the past eight years, Kristin Crowley has been delivering the news to Rockford at 13-WREX, and on March 31st she will be signing off for good.

According to the Rockford Register Star, Crowley has accepted a position as an investigative reporter at WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, and when I first saw this story I immediately thought Kristin was the first 'casualty' of the recently announced sale of WREX's parent company Quincy Media. Turns out, my assumptions were wrong.

Crowley explained to the RRStar that her leaving has nothing to do with the sale;

This was in the works before I even know about the sale,” she said. “I had interviewed for the position late last year long before we even had word that Gray was going to be purchasing us. … It’s just the timing of everything

If you've lived in the Rockford area for many years, you probably know that media personalities don't stick around too long, especially in TV news. Rockford is often viewed as a springboard market; a place where you gain experience that will better qualify you for a gig in a bigger market. Kristin Crowley's eight years on WREX is a unique tenure, and she told the RRStar leaving wasn't an easy decision to make;

When I came to Rockford in 2013, I honestly didn’t plan on staying long,” Crowley said. “That changed when I fell in love with the city and its people. Now, eight years later, it’s hard to imagine saying goodbye.

Crowley's husband, Josh Morgan, is the current Vice President & General Manager of WREX, and there is no word yet if he will be leaving his position and moving to Atlanta as well.

Here is the announcement Kristin made on Facebook Wednesday...