AJ Colby was a news anchor on Fox 8 News in Cleveland, Ohio for over 20 years before suddenly leaving the station in 2022. His departure came as a surprise to many viewers who had grown accustomed to seeing him deliver the news each evening. There has been much speculation among Fox 8 viewers and Cleveland residents about why AJ abruptly left Fox 8 and what he is doing now. This article will provide a recap of AJ Colby’s career, examine what is known about his departure, and look at what AJ might be doing next.
AJ Colby’s Career Background
AJ Colby grew up in Northeast Ohio and graduated from Kent State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He started his career in TV news at a station in Columbus before joining Fox 8 in Cleveland in 1999.
At Fox 8, AJ co-anchored the evening news broadcasts at 6 pm and 11 pm alongside his longtime co-anchor Tracy McCool. He reported on major local and national news stories over the years, including the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in 2016.
AJ was an active member of the Cleveland community. He emceed various charity events and made appearances at local schools and organizations. He won several regional Emmy awards for his reporting and anchoring during his career.
AJ Colby’s Sudden Departure from Fox 8
In April 2022, Fox 8 viewers noticed AJ Colby was absent from the evening news broadcasts. Initially, no statement was made by AJ or Fox 8 about his disappearance from the air.
After about two weeks, Fox 8’s news director issued a statement saying AJ was no longer with the station and thanking him for his “many years of service.” The statement provided no details about why AJ left so abruptly.
AJ Colby has not made any public statements about his departure from Fox 8. He has not given any interviews or addressed the situation further on social media.
His sudden exit after over 20 years at Fox 8 came as a shock to staff members and viewers alike. Given his long history with the station, many thought he would retire from Fox 8. There were no reports of conflicts behind the scenes leading up to AJ’s departure.
The lack of information from both AJ and Fox 8 has left many questions unanswered about what prompted the end of AJ’s long run on Cleveland television.
Speculation on Reasons for AJ Colby’s Departure
In the absence of an official explanation, viewers and Cleveland media insiders have speculated about potential reasons AJ Colby may have left Fox 8, including:
- Was AJ Colby forced out? There is speculation that new management came in and wanted to shake up the on-air talent.
- Did AJ Colby leave for a bigger market? Maybe he got a more lucrative contract offer from a larger station now that he has more name recognition.
- Did AJ Colby retire? At age 58, he may have simply decided it was time to leave the broadcasting career behind.
- Did AJ Colby have a medical issue? A personal health problem could have caused him to step away quickly.
- Was there a scandal? Rumors have circulated about unspecified personal issues that may have led to AJ’s sudden exit.
However, none of these potential reasons have been confirmed. Fox 8 and AJ Colby have not provided any insight into the factors that precipitated his departure.
What is AJ Colby Doing Now?
Since leaving Fox 8 in April 2022, AJ Colby has seemingly dropped out of the public eye. He does not appear to have taken any new television or media jobs since his exit.
AJ’s social media accounts have gone silent since just before his departure from Fox 8. His Facebook page has not been updated since March 2022.
There have been no AJ Colby sightings or statements since he left the air in Cleveland. It appears AJ left Fox 8 and swiftly moved into private life.
Without any communication from AJ himself, it is not known what types of activities or pursuits he may have taken on over the past year. There is widespread curiosity about what he is doing and where he is living now.
Some key questions surrounding what AJ Colby is up to now include:
- Is AJ still residing in Northeast Ohio or did he relocate?
- What is he doing for work and income?
- Is AJ laying low purposefully to avoid further attention?
- Does he plan to ever return to the public spotlight and share his story?
- Will AJ make an official statement about his departure from Fox 8 at some point?
Unfortunately, as AJ Colby has not provided any updates, the public is still very much in the dark about what his life looks like today. Hopefully more details will eventually emerge to satisfy the lingering curiosity about AJ’s unexpected exit from Cleveland television.
Impact of AJ Colby’s Departure on Fox 8 News
The sudden loss of AJ Colby has had a significant impact on Fox 8’s evening news broadcasts over the past year.
For starters, the station had to move quickly to find replacements to fill AJ’s anchor chair alongside Tracy McCool. For the first few weeks, Fox 8 rotated through different anchors next to Tracy as temporary fill-ins.
In July 2022, the station settled on two main permanent anchors to take AJ Colby’s place: John Kosich and Jennifer Jordan.
John Kosich took over as 6 pm anchor while Jennifer Jordan became the new face of Fox 8 News at 11 pm. Both had prior experience anchoring at Fox 8 before taking over the high-profile slots.
However, some loyal Fox 8 viewers have complained that the station has lost continuity and chemistry that AJ and Tracy had developed together over 20 years on air. Many still miss seeing AJ Colby delivering their news every night.
While the new anchor team has done well, Fox 8’s ratings at 11 pm slipped noticeably following AJ’s exit. However, the full impact on viewership is difficult to quantify due to various factors influencing ratings.
Overall, filling the void left by the sudden loss of a longtime, popular anchor like AJ Colby was undoubtedly a major challenge for Fox 8 News. The station appears to have successfully moved forward with its new anchoring lineup despite AJ’s continued absence on air.
Conclusion
AJ Colby spent over two decades reporting the news to Cleveland’s television viewers as part of Fox 8’s heralded anchor team. His sudden, unexplained departure in 2022 shocked the community and ended his long-running spot on local evening broadcasts.
In the year since AJ left Fox 8, curiosity and speculation have continued to swirl around what prompted his exit and what he is doing now. AJ himself has not provided any insight into the situation. Fox 8 has moved on with new anchors taking AJ’s place, but ratings have sagged slightly as some loyal fans continue to miss AJ Colby.
Until AJ decides to share more about the circumstances around his departure, the full story remains a mystery. For now, Northeast Ohio can only reminisce about AJ Colby’s historic broadcasting career and wonder what comes next for the newsman who unexpectedly left Fox 8 after so many years on the air.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1999 | AJ Colby joins Fox 8 News in Cleveland |
| April 2022 | AJ Colby abruptly leaves Fox 8 News; no reason given |
| July 2022 | John Kosich and Jennifer Jordan named as AJ’s permanent replacements |