Three years after joining News4Jax, sports anchor/reporter Alessandra Pontbriand has left WJXT TV-4.
Pontbriand, whose last day on air was June 19, was the first full-time female member in the sports department at the Graham Media-owned independent station in its 77-year history, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“Three years. Countless memories. Lifelong friendships. Forever grateful to be the first female sports anchor at @news4jax and excited for the incredible women who will follow,” Pontbriand wrote in a June 23 post on X, formerly Twitter.
Pontbriand anchored and reported for the station’s 6:30, 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts.
During her final News4Jax broadcast, she thanked her viewers and coworkers.
Jacksonville, thank you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/a7VMgu4OsX
— Alessandra Pontbriand (@APontbriandTV) June 19, 2026
“Three years ago, I moved to Jacksonville to follow a dream. … From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the viewers for welcoming me into your homes and watching every day. Thank you to the coaches, the players and the fans who trusted me to tell your stories … and thank you to my coworkers, the people you don’t see on camera … who help keep this station running every day.”
She made the announcement surrounded by her co-anchors and colleagues, including the News4Jax sports team.
“It’s not easy being a female in sports, especially right now,” she said. “They (her sports counterparts) have championed me. They have given me confidence when I didn’t feel confident.”
Pontbriand’s departure was the second in a week and at least the third for on-air talent this year at Channel 4.
On June 14, News4Jax reporter and weekend anchor Aaron Farrar signed off after five years at the station.
And in March, “The Morning Show” traffic anchor/reporter Amanda DeVoe left the station for a similar role at KSTP TV-5 in Minneapolis.
Pontbriand, a University of Alabama graduate, previously worked at stations in Springfield, Ill., and Tuscaloosa, Ala. She did not say where her next stop would be.
Gary T. Mills is the deputy managing editor at The Florida Times-Union. He has led the newspaper’s dining coverage since 2010, as well as personnel changes at Jacksonville’s local TV news organizations.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: News4Jax sports anchor Alessandra Pontbriand leaves Channel 4
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