KTVU anchor Julie Haener shocks viewers by making big announcement live on air

KTVU anchor Julie Haener shocked viewers by making a huge announcement live on air this week.

The 57-year-old presenter has been bringing the San Francisco Bay Area their news bulletins on the news channel for almost thirty years.

During the 6pm broadcast on Tuesday, Haener revealed she is stepping down from her role and into retirement to spend more time with her family.

At the end of the show, she broke the news to viewers and said to the camera: 'Alright, well it's hard to say it but I have decided that I'm going to end my career here at KTVU.

'It's been a long time coming, it's been 27 years and I don't wanna get sad.

'But just to have a place like the Bay area to live and work and cover stories and report on stories that matter to people, and deliver the news for this long has been a once-in-a-lifetime opporunity.

The 57-year-old presenter has been bringing the San Francisco Bay Area their news bulletins on the news channel for almost thirty years

'I'm so glad to have been able to do it with all of you and I'm not done yet. This is not my last night, I've got a couple more weeks until June 20th and it will be all over.'

Getting emotional, she added: 'I feel like there's never an easy time to say goodbye, but I feel like really this is the right time for me and we've talked about it for a long time.

'It all comes down to family, and I have my kids and my husband and I have a lot of really important things that I just don't want to miss with my boys.

'I've been able to juggle for so long and been able to do this amazing career with all of my colleagues and some of the best journalists in the business.

'But after I while I can't be in two places at once time and I don't want to miss out on those family things.'

Haener is from Tacoma, WA and she got her degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Washington.

Her TV career began at age 23 at KNDO-TV in Yakima, Washington, where she worked as a general assignment reporter, producer, photographer, editor and anchor.

From there, she landed a job at KJEO-TV in Fresno, CA as the weeknight news anchor, before going on to bag a role as morning News Anchor and reporter at KIRO-TV in Seattle - she stayed in this job for three years.

When she wasn't working, Haener would be spending time with her family (pictured above)

Haener joined KTVU in the Bay Area in 1997 and has remained with the channel for 27 years, presenting the 5pm, 6pm, 10pm, and 11pm news.

During her time at KTVU, the anchor has covered a wide range of stories, including some of America's biggest moments.

The 57-year-old presenter brought Bay area residents the news of the September 11th attacks in 2001, the San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010, Oakland's Ghost ship warehouse Fire in 2019, and the Scott Peterson murder trial.

Haener also anchored the shows that broke the news of San Francisco's deadly dog mauling case, California's historic drought, and the Asiana Airlines crash at SFO in 2013, amongst a long list of other headlines.

Her page on the Fox News website says she 'loves the scenic beauty of the Bay Area' and it's 'great to be surrounded by water and the mountains'.

When she wasn't working, Haener would be spending time with her family or horseback riding, hiking or traveling. 

She has been married to her husband Ryan Haener for 29 years and the pair have two children together - Jake and Kyle, who are both grown up now.

Her husband is the CEO of a medical supply business and her sons are both American football players.

Haener's son Jake, 25, is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints 

Jake, 25, has had a very successful career in the sport and is currently a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.

He was previously the captain of the Fresno State Bulldogs during his college career.

Meanwhile, Haener's younger son Kyle is a Sales Development Representative, after graduating from Southern Methodist University.

The TV anchor admitted that one of the reasons she is entering retirement is because there are 'important things' she doesn't want to miss with her children.

Julie Haener's last broadcast on KTVU will be on June 20.