Veteran newsman stepping away from anchor desk at CBS Miami
CBS Miami is losing another icon.
Roughly two weeks after entertainment reporter Lisa Petrillo announced she was leaving the station, her colleague Eliott Rodriguez is signing off, too.
The anchorman, 69, has been with CBS Miami for 25 years, and a journalist for close to five decades. He recently shared an Instagram post posing with the “Taste of the Town” host calling her a “tireless beauty with a smile that lights up a room.”
While Petrillo revealed that she was part of mass layoffs due to parent company Paramount Global’s $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, Rodriguez had a different reason.
The New York native told viewers during Wednesday’s broadcast that he wants to spend more time with his blended family, which includes six daughters and six grandchildren.
“People often say they leave a job to be closer to their families,” said the veteran newsman. “In my case, it’s true.”
Rodriguez added that he simply needed a breather to enjoy milestones and make new memories.
“Over the years, I’ve missed holidays, birthdays, graduations, school plays, soccer matches and so much more, because I’ve been busy working doing the job I love deeply,” he said. “Delivering news to South Florida has been the honor of a lifetime for me, but I blinked and my daughters are all grown up — they’re adults, and I missed a lot of it. I don’t want the same to happen with my grandkids.”
“CBS has been extremely gracious and is allowing me to leave on my terms to say goodbye and look back on some of the stories I’ve covered over the years,” said the recipient of three Emmys and four Edward R. Murrow Awards. Some of those stories include covering Fidel Castro’s death, the invasion of Panama, and multiple natural disasters such as the Mexico City earthquake and Hurricane Andrew.
In a statement announcing his departure, Miguel Fernandez, vice president and news director, called Rodriguez “not only a trusted journalist but also a mentor and friend whose influence will be felt for years to come.”’
“His professionalism, curiosity, and commitment to accuracy have set the standard for our newsroom,” said Fernandez.
Kim Voet, president and general manager, added: “In an era where technology is transforming how we deliver news, Eliott has remained a steady, human voice — reminding us that trust and storytelling are at the heart of everything we do.”
Before this position, Rodriguez, a University of Miami graduate, worked at two other local stations, WTVJ and WPLG; before TV, he was a newspaper reporter for the Miami Herald.
Rodriguez’s final newscast is Dec. 19.
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 12:11 PM.
