Bangor-based WVII/WFVX news anchors Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio resigned live on the air at the end of their 6 p.m. newscast on Tuesday.

The Bangor Daily News has cited a "longstanding battle with upper management" over journalistic practices at the stations as the reason behind the resignations.

"We have loved every minute bringing the news to you ... but some recent developments have come to our attention, though, and departing together is the best alternative we can take," Consiglio said during the resignation, which caught many people at the station by surprise.

"I just wanted to know that I was doing the best job I could and was being honest and ethical as a journalist, and I thought there were times when I wasn’t able to do that,” he later told the BDN.

Station general manager Mike Palmer called the resignation “unfortunate, but not unexpected," adding that upper management had no daily involvement in local news production.

Michaels told the audience she would focus on a freelance writing career, and Consglio said he would be "continuing with his career in another capacity."

The pair had been co-anchors for six years.

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