People
Anchor and lifestyle host Paula Sands has announced plans to retire from Gray NBC affiliate KWQC/6.1 (Davenport-Quad Cities) after 41 years with the station. She hosts long-running local talk show “Paula Sands Live,” which Sands said will continue with a new name. Sands also co-anchors the 6 p.m. news.
Jim Murphy, the longtime morning host at Midwest’s WIXX/101.1 (Green Bay), announced that he will retire at the end of November. Katie Schurk and Nick Vitrano will continue on the show with a new co-host.
The Star Tribune reported on Ubah Ali joining CBS owned-and-operated WCCO-TV/4.1 (Minneapolis) as the Twin Cities’ first Somali-American TV reporter. Ali previously worked in Milwaukee and Rochester.
Brock Bergey has joined Gray NBC affiliate KTTC/10.1 (Rochester) as a weeknight anchor. Bergey grew up in the market, worked at several Wisconsin TV stations and two Wisconsin state agencies, and returned to his hometown in 2016.
Jodi Long has joined Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI/8.1 (Des Moines), anchoring the noon newscast and co-anchoring at 5 p.m. Long worked at another station in the market up until last year.
Danielle Shenk has joined Gray CBS affiliate KOLN/10.1 (Lincoln) as a morning co-anchor. Shenk, who grew up in Nebraska, was previously the evening anchor at Gray NBC affiliate KSNB/4.1 (York-Hastings-Lincoln).
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association reports that Hall of Fame member Ruane Hill has died at 99. Hill helped put WUWM/89.7 (Milwaukee) on the air in 1964.
Stations
iHeartMedia’s “K102” (KEEY/102.1 St. Paul-Minneapolis) received a CMA Award for Major Market Radio Station of the Year. K102’s Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere were also finalists for Major Market Broadcast Personality of the Year.
Minnesota Public Radio’s station outages page says its Classical MPR signals in the Roseau and Warroad area have recently been affected by an unspecified transmitter failure. Classical programming is carried on the HD2 channel of KRXW/103.5 (Roseau) and is relayed on translators in Roseau and Warroad.
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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.