Despite the heartfelt campaign to Save Sue Simmons, WNBC honchos appear to be moving forward with Simmons' firing with anchor Shiba Russell rumored to be taking over Simmons' legendary post. If Russell is turned away from the gig, she stands to receive a $600,000 payday for the rejection.
The news however, comes as no surprise, probably to even Russell herself. Even from the start of her career with WNBC after her move from Boston last year, Russell was highly regarded as Simmons' eventual replacement.
The flattered 36-year old anchor once said, "It's a great compliment. Sue is an icon. She is a legend. I'm a huge fan. I have been for years and I'm looking forward to working with her."
But Russell quickly dismissed the notion her arrival signaled the end for Simmons and insisted:
I'm not here to replace Sue Simmons. I'm here to be me. I can't predict the future. I do know I'm going to work my tail off, I'm going to tell great stories and if it leads to more opportunities, that would be great.
Recent events have obviously proven otherwise. As for Russell's salary, The New York Post reports the anchor currently rakes in $400,000 a year, a faraway cry from the hefty $5 million Simmons cashed in on.
Since news of her firing, Simmons' salary has received considerable backlash from critics who believed it to be inflated and undeserved.
So who is Shiba Russell? The anchor describes herself as both a "Mom and Workout Fiend" on her Facebook page. Watch below to see her in action and tell us, are we fans?