People
Longtime Minnesota and Wisconsin broadcaster John Froyd has died at the age of 89. Froyd first worked in radio, getting his start in St. Cloud before moving to Tomah, Rochester, and Green Bay, where he announced the infamous “Ice Bowl” NFL Championship Game in 1967. He made the transition to TV by producing educational programming in Green Bay. He then served as news director and anchor at KCMT-TV/7 (Alexandria) in the 1970s and 1980s and anchor at WEAU-TV/13 (Eau Claire) in the 1990s. His obituary says services will be held next month in California.
Alex Crowe has joined Wisconsin Public Radio as the host of Morning Edition on the News & Music network. Crowe, who grew up in Racine and earned a journalism degree from UW-Oshkosh, has also worked at stations in South Dakota and Mayville.
Tegna NBC affiliate KARE 11 (Minneapolis) has hired Minnesota native Jamie Kagol as its new weekend meteorologist. Kagol comes from the Tegna station in Phoenix, which writes that he graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and once worked in Mankato.
Meteorologist Taylor Kanost is leaving Tegna ABC affiliate WOI-DT/5 (Ames-Des Moines) for a job in Alabama. The Des Moines Register has more.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that former “103.7 Kiss FM” (WXSS Wauwatosa-Milwaukee) morning co-host Andy Riggs has resurfaced in Texas at Country station “93Q” (KKBQ/92.9 Pasadena-Houston).
Stations
Hearst ABC affiliate WISN/12 (Milwaukee) was presented with an Emmy for outstanding achievement for morning/daytime newscast in larger markets for its coverage of the Waukesha parade tragedy.
TCT’s KWKB (Iowa City) has added getTV on channel 20.9 and switched channel 20.6 from Quest to Twist. The station is in the Cedar Rapids market and also reaches Davenport due to its transmitter location near West Branch. Former getTV affiliate KGAN/2.3 (Cedar Rapids) is now carrying Quest.
Milwaukee-based Christian broadcaster VCY America is buying WFAS-FM/103.9 (Bronxville-New York) from Cumulus Media for $7.25 million. RadioInsight notes that VCY has been adding stations in major markets in recent years, and this represents its first presence on the east coast.
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Disclosure: Jon Ellis was an employee of Gray Media Group at the time this item was posted. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.