ABC7 News Bar Area anchor Reggie Aqui bid an emotional farewell to the show as he announced his departure from the network after 10 years on screen. During Tuesday's broadcast, Reggie revealed that he would be stepping down as the lead news anchor and thanked viewers for their support throughout the years. "Alright, 10 years is a long time. In dog years, that's like going from a puppy to a senior," he shared."Had I been good at math and science, I could've been a doctor or a scientist in those 10 years."
Reggie continued: "If this were a 10-year wedding anniversary, I would have a gift of tin or aluminum, so put me in Reynolds wrap because this is both my 10-year work anniversary and my last day here at ABC7 News." To lighten the mood, the reporter joked that his “proudest” career moment was winning a Murrow Award – before admitting that the organization had not actually awarded him.
© ABC7"So it's not industry accolades," he said. Reggie added that he could not go through "something like 8,500 hours of news shows" over the last decade to determine his favorite moment on air. "I think my proudest moment, and the thing I'm going to take away from this experience, [is] my relationships that we built," he explained. The 48-year-old grew visibly emotional as he pointed to the camera and addressed his viewers, affectionately calling them his "co-anchors".
"I'm including you because you are always a part of this," he said, crying. "Of course, I don't know all your names. But when I meet you on the street, at the store or in my DMs, you tell me that we make your day just a little bit better and the news a little easier to swallow." He continued with a personal statement: "Everything is bad, only it isn't," and adding that he "tried every day to give us all a softer place to land".
"So, I'm going to take those relationships, including my daily one with you, I'm going to take that over an Emmy," he concluded. "Ten years. I'm so happy it happened. I am sad that it's over, and that's perfect because that is my favorite kind of emotion: happy and sad." Reggie joined the network in October 2015 after previously working in different cities including Portland, Ore. and Atlanta.
© ABC7The reason for Reggie's exit has yet to be revealed. Following the broadcast, the news anchor took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt message to his followers. "Not sure what's next, other than a much-deserved nap. What a ride that was," he wrote in the caption. Reggie resides in San Francisco with his husband, Phil.
