Olessa Stepanova is joining Boston ABC affiliate WCVB as a traffic reporter for the morning newscast. Stepnova will make her WCVB debut January 13.
“Olessa has a distinctive quality about her. She is very bright, energetic and knowledgeable about the New England area,” WCVB news director Andrew Vrees said in a statement. “She comes with great experience, having covered several major metropolitan areas. We are excited to welcome her here in Boston and at Channel 5.”
Stepanova comes to Boston from Hartford, where she has been the morning traffic reporter at CBS affiliate WFSB since 2011. She was also a fill-in anchor and co-host for “Better Connecticut,” a local lifestyle show.
More from WCVB after the jump.
Boston (January 10, 2014) – Olessa Stepanova joins WCVB-TV as traffic reporter of NewsCenter 5’s EyeOpener newscasts as announced today by Bill Fine, WCVB President and General Manager. Stepanova joins anchors Bianca de la Garza and Randy Price, and meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon, weekday mornings starting Monday, January 13 on Boston’s most watched early morning news program.
Stepanova comes to Boston from the CBS affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut, WFSB-TV. She has served as the morning traffic reporter on WFSB’s Eyewitness News this Morning for the past three years. She is also a fill-in anchor and fill-in co-host for Better Connecticut, a local show that focuses on home, family and other lifestyle topics.
“Olessa has proven herself to be a very skilled reporter with a diverse background, and has a personality that really shines through on the air. She will make a great addition to our top-rated EyeOpener team,” said Fine. Andrew Vrees, WCVB News Director added, “Olessa has a distinctive quality about her. She is very bright, energetic and knowledgeable about the New England area. She comes with great experience, having covered several major metropolitan areas. We are excited to welcome her here in Boston and at Channel 5.”
Stepanova began her broadcasting career as a traffic reporter for News12 Traffic and Weather, a cable-exclusive service serving seven regions of the New York tri-state area. From there, she moved to News12 Long Island, where she covered traffic in studio and from high above Long Island in a helicopter. She also worked for NY1, Time Warner Cable’s 24-hour news channel in New York City, reporting traffic for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Stepanova has a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Long Island University, C.W.Post.
Originally from Russia, Stepanova moved to Queens, NY with her family in 1992 and is fluent in Russian.
“I’m thrilled to join the EyeOpener family and become a part of the best news team in town,” said Stepanova. “It’s an absolute honor to be welcomed into this close knit, genuine, and caring community. I’m truly looking forward to making Boston my home!”