News anchor Alix Kendall has announced plans to depart FOX O&O KMSP/9.1 (Minneapolis) after 25 years with the station, having anchored the station’s morning news since its launch. In her announcement, she said she plans to spend more time on her passion projects, including writing.
Gray CBS/NBC affiliate KEYC/KMNF-LD (Mankato) has promoted Jackson Jirik to morning anchor.
Rick Gevers’ weekly newsletter notes that Ryan Scott is departing his current role as station manager and news director at Scripps NBC affiliate WGBA/26.1 (Green Bay) to return to co-owned NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV/4.1 (Milwaukee) as managing editor.
Tegna announced that Jim Kizer (right) will add duties as president and general manager of its Des Moines stations while retaining those same duties in the Quad Cities. Tegna owns the ABC affiliates in both markets (WOI-DT and WQAD) as well as the CW affiliate in Des Moines (KCWI).
HisAir.net reports that Northwestern Media’s “Life 101.9” (KNWS-FM Waterloo-Cedar Rapids) has hired Heide Jones as station manager.
Nexstar, owner of the CW network, announced that Gray Media has renewed CW affiliation agreements for 38 stations.
Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI/8.1 (Des Moines) announced that it will air a weekly college football show, “Big College Kickoff,” Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. beginning Aug. 31.
Separate rescan announcements indicate two Gray Media stations plan to move from VHF to UHF frequencies on Tuesday, Aug. 20. ABC affiliate KCRG-TV/9.1 (Cedar Rapids) will move to RF channel 32 while NBC/FOX affiliate WGEM-TV/10.1 (Quincy, IL) will move to RF channel 19. Both stations will continue to remap to their legacy channel numbers, as is the practice for most DTV stations. To make way for WGEM-TV’s move, Iowa PBS’ translator in Keokuk has moved from channel 19 to 18.
Pioneer PBS (KWCM/10 Appleton) says DirecTV has resumed carrying its programming as part of its Minneapolis-market lineup but has not yet resumed carriage in the Sioux Falls market, where Pioneer’s station is KSMN/20 (Worthington). Pioneer says it is also working with DISH Network to restore carriage in both markets. The service had been carried by both providers in both markets prior to a broadcast outage last year.
Karen Holman Hubbard, wife of Hubbard Broadcasting CEO Stanley S. Hubbard, has died at 87. “Everything we accomplished professionally could not have been possible without Karen’s enthusiastic willingness to be my partner in all that we did. At every turn she offered her best ideas, support and when necessary, challenged my thinking,” Stanley Hubbard wrote in her obituary. Karen Hubbard helped establish the Lower St. Croix Valley Youth Center and worked on the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, as well as the boards of the Minnesota Orchestra, Children’s Home Society, and others.
Upper Midwest radio veteran Ian McCain (Justin Cooper) has died at 54 following a brief illness. An Omaha native, McCain worked in Lincoln, Kansas City, Des Moines, Salt Lake City, Tulsa, and Chicago before joining the Milwaukee Radio Alliance in 2011.
Tegna NBC affiliate KARE 11 (Minneapolis) has won a national Edward R. Murrow award for overall excellence, as well as two national Murrows in other categories. PBS Wisconsin and iHeartMedia’s WHO/1040 (Des Moines) were also among the national Murrow winners.
Gold winners of Pinnacle Awards from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association include Hearst ABC affiliate KETV/7 (Omaha) for TV station of the year and best TV newscast, NRG Media’s “Froggy 98” (KFGE/98.1 Milford-Lincoln) for radio station of the year, and NRG’s KLIN/1400 (Lincoln) for best radio newscast.
In a major development outside of the region, Audacy announced plans to end the long-running All News format of WCBS/880 (New York) on Aug. 26. The station, which can be heard in much of the Upper Midwest at night, will change call letters to WHSQ as the new home of “ESPN New York” under a local marketing agreement with Good Karma Brands. The move will end an unusual situation of Audacy owning two All News stations in New York, with the format continuing on WINS/1010 and WINS-FM/92.3.
In case you missed it here:
- Forum Buying Rapid City NBC Affiliate KNBN
- FCC Approves Application for Review of Twin Cities FM Upgrade
- FCC Monitor: Iowa LPFM Shuts Down; Neb. AM at Reduced Power
- VSS Buys Silent FM Translator from Nebraska Public Media
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Disclosure: Jon Ellis is an employee of Gray Media Group. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.