Charly Edsitty is returning to Phoenix, where her television career began, to take on a new role as a morning anchor at Arizona's Family KTVK 3TV and KPHO CBS 5 after leaving ABC13 KTRK Houston.
Here is what Edsitty said in her announcement:
"Hey, Arizona!
I am excited to share that I’ll be joining the very talented team at Arizona’s Family on October 12th! I am elated to finally be back home in Arizona and just down the road from my family.
I am even more excited to share the anchor desk with Colton Shone every weekday morning from 4:30 to 6 a.m.!
I will see you on the air soon …
It was a long drive from Houston to Phoenix and thank you so much to everyone for your prayers/well wishes.
I miss Houston, but it feels so good to be back home again!"
She takes over for Simone Cuccurullo, who left Arizona's Family in early September.
Arizona’s Family also announced the hiring of Christine Stanwood from KJRH 2 News Tulsa, Oklahoma, as an “On Your Side” consumer investigative reporter to work with Susan Campbell.
Edsitty left her anchor role with ABC13 on September 24, 2026.
Edsitty joined ABC13 in 2018 as a multimedia journalist after beginning her broadcast career at 12 News KPNX in Phoenix. She was promoted to ABC13 weekend morning anchor in 2023.
During her time in Houston, Edsitty also expanded her national profile through work with ABC News. On July 4, 2026, she was part of ABC's coverage surrounding the nation's 250th anniversary as the network presented its 24-hour "Disney Celebrates America" programming marathon.
Edsitty's work has also earned national recognition. In 2025, she received a Gracie Award for her work on "Reclaimed: The Lifeblood of Navajo Nation" through ABC Audio. She previously appeared in the documentary "Our America: Indigenous and Urban," returning to the Navajo Nation in the Four Corners region, where she spent much of her childhood.
Edsitty began her television career at KPNX in 2013 as a planning producer for "12 News Today," where she booked guests and scripted segments. After a year, she moved in front of the camera as a reporter for the station's Northern Arizona bureau in Flagstaff.
While based in northern Arizona, Edsitty covered wildfires, snowstorms and Indigenous communities before eventually becoming a general assignment reporter in Phoenix.
Her journalism career began in print, where she focused on Native American issues, including tribal politics, sports mascot controversies and questions surrounding identity. A member of the Navajo Nation, Edsitty has made Indigenous representation and storytelling a central part of her journalism career.
Born in Farmington, New Mexico, and raised in Glendale, Arizona, Edsitty considers the Phoenix area her hometown. She spent much of her childhood traveling with her family to visit her grandparents, William and Hannah, on the Navajo Nation. She has credited her grandparents with helping instill a strong connection to her Diné heritage and a love of storytelling.
Edsitty graduated from Cactus High School in Glendale before earning a degree in print journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Her early journalism experience included internships with CBS News and the White House. She also graduated from the Gannett Talent Development Program and the Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute. Edsitty is a member of the Native American Journalists Association.
