CBS Austin KEYE is revamping its morning newscast, the station tells mikemcguff.com, and with that change, I have learned, come job cuts for anchor John-Carlos Estrada and traffic anchor Jenna Wilson.
"Beginning September 14, CBS Austin will debut a refreshed format for 'CBS Austin This Morning,' designed to better serve our audience while continuing to deliver the local journalism and community coverage our viewers expect," a CBS Austin representative told mikemcguff.com. "As part of that transition, the station has made the difficult decision to eliminate two positions. We are grateful to the talented employees whose positions were impacted and thank them for their contributions to the newscast."
A source tells me that the recent departure of reporter Farrah Walton is unrelated to the morning newscast changes.
At the same time, the station has made recent summer 2026 hirings while I was on my blogging break, including multimedia journalist Audrey Wong and Live Desk Reporter Alexia Stanbridge.
John-Carlos Estrada
Estrada is leaving CBS Austin after seven years as the station's weekday morning anchor.
He joined CBS Austin in August 2019 to anchor CBS Austin This Morning, airing weekdays from 4:30 to 7 a.m. During his tenure, he also created and produced the weekly Central Texas history segment Turning Back Time, while earning honors from the GLAAD Media Awards, Telly Awards, Texas Association of Broadcasters, Texas Associated Press, and other journalism organizations.
Before arriving in Austin, Estrada anchored and reported at WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida, where he covered Hurricane Irma, major wildfires, and other breaking news. Earlier stops in his career included serving as lead anchor and managing editor at KTRE in Lufkin, Texas, news anchor at KAVU in Victoria, Texas, and producer roles with NBC News and ABC News in New York City and Washington, D.C.
In addition to his television career, Estrada is an award-winning filmmaker. He co-directed and produced the documentaries Barbette + Fontaine and This Is Texas, both of which received national recognition. He is also writing a biography of Texas entertainer Vander Barbette for the University of Texas Press, with publication expected in 2027.
A Dallas native who was raised in Garland, Estrada holds degrees from Columbia Journalism School and The George Washington University. He is also active in the Austin community, serving on nonprofit boards and mentoring students interested in journalism.
Jenna Wilson
Wilson joined the CBS Austin KEYE team in August 2025 as the station's morning traffic anchor.
She arrived in Austin from Fox 26 KNPN in St. Joseph, Missouri, where she spent more than three years as a multimedia journalist before being promoted to Friday evening anchor. During her time at KNPN, she earned 2025 Missouri Broadcast Awards for her reporting on the city's most dangerous intersections and its growing homeless population.
A graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism.
Farrah Walton
Walton joined the CBS Austin KEYE news team as a reporter in May 2024.
Before moving to Austin, Walton spent nearly three years at KTXS News in Abilene, where she joined the station in July 2021 as a weekend anchor and reporter before being promoted to weeknight evening anchor. Her coverage of the tornado that devastated the West Texas town of Matador earned a nomination in the General Assignment category at the 2023 Texas Broadcast News Awards.
A Pasadena, California native, Walton is a graduate of San Francisco State University.
