Amelia Santaniello’s New Chapter: A Shift in Schedule and a Breath of Fresh Air
On Monday evening, Amelia Santaniello did something she hasn’t done in ages. She left work for the day while the sun was still shining. The longtime WCCO-TV anchor began her new schedule this week, which saw her move to anchor the 4 p.m. newscast and depart the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts she had co-anchored with her husband, Frank Vascellaro, for more than two decades. They are continuing to anchor the 6 p.m. news as a pair.
“It’s really great, I’m really enjoying it,” said Santaniello, 60. “Working nights, there are a lot of people I haven’t seen in a while and that’s great. I like the energy and I like doing the (4 p.m.) show. I think it’s exactly what I needed. After doing 40 years of hard news, and 30 years here, it’s just nice to have this variety. This change is good.”
A New Era and a Chance to Recharge
At 4, Santaniello is working with Erin Hassanzadeh, whose former on-air partner Jeff Wagner has taken over the station’s popular “Good Question” segment. The hour favors features and longer interviews over breaking news, which appealed to Santaniello. She had previously talked to the 4 p.m. producer about her interest in the time slot. When the position opened up, the station’s news director came to her with an offer.
“I had foot surgery this summer and I was off for four weeks. I think that’s when it started to think about the grind of doing the news. I feel like since the pandemic, the news cycle has been nonstop and just sort of relentless. Being off for that month made me realize I need a break, a mental break, from it,” she said.
Setting the Record Straight and Embracing the Change
Given her high profile in the community, it wasn’t a surprise to see Santaniello post a video to Facebook making it clear there were absolutely no issues going on with her husband. She laughed when asked about it. “Oh, my gosh, it’s funny. No, there’s no trouble in this marriage. In fact, we do laugh about it. And perhaps this will make it stronger. You know, a little time apart. And he’s been extremely supportive because he knows I’m happy.”
So what did she end up doing Monday evening? “I went home and a friend called and said they were watching the Vikings game and do I want to come over? So I went over to watch the Vikings game,” Santaniello said. “Just being able to come home, wind down and just kind of have my evening, you know? I can settle in with a book or watch a movie or go to bed early. I will watch the 10 p.m. news, but if I go to bed early, I’m not going to feel guilty.”
Read more about Amelia Santaniello’s new schedule and her thoughts on the change Here
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