Nexstar CBS affiliate KELO-TV/11 (Sioux Falls) announced that Tom Hanson will take over as 6 and 10 p.m. co-anchor on Dec. 1, joining Lauren Soulek. Hanson, who grew up in Mitchell, has worked in several markets and has been with KELO-TV for five years. The announcement follows the previously-reported retirement of longtime anchor Don Jorgensen, who will sign off Nov. 28.
Briggs LeSavage has returned to Gray NBC/CBS affiliate KBJR/6 (Superior-Duluth) after a brief departure for a job outside media. LeSavage is now anchoring the noon newscast in addition to behind-the-scenes work.
Connoisseur Media announced that Bob Fisher will be returning to KGLO/1300 (Mason City) as morning host and News & Sports Director for the company’s Mason City group. His newscasts will air six times a day on all five of the group’s stations.
Jesse Garon has joined Magnum Media’s WSJY/107.3 (Fort Atkinson-Madison), hosting middays on the Adult Contemporary station. Garon previously hosted mornings at Audacy’s WOLX-FM/94.9 (Baraboo-Madison).
Jay Richardson has joined Pattison Media’s “Alt 94-3” (CHNW-FM Winnipeg) as music director, with plans to begin hosting afternoons in the future. He had hosted mornings at Corus’ “Power 97” (CJKR-FM Winnipeg) up until last Friday, Nov. 21.
Former Twin Cities radio announcer Mary Lucia has released a new book, “What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To.” The U of M press says Lucia “tells her harrowing story of being stalked while living her very public life.” The Nov. 25 release has been covered by MPR, the Star Tribune, and Racket.
Wisconsin Public Radio’s Larry Meiller announced that Dr. Zorba Paster, whose weekly show on the network ended earlier this year, will make monthly appearances on Meiller’s midday show. Paster is also hosting a podcast.
Longtime Wisconsin broadcaster Michael “Gilby” Gilbertson has died at 66. Gilbertson worked at radio stations in Eau Claire, Oshkosh, and Whitehall, where he hosted mornings at WHTL/102.3 until last year. The station says he had continued to help behind the scenes following his retirement.
WisconsinEye, a non-profit cable channel and website covering Wisconsin government and politics, announced it will temporarily stop event coverage on Dec. 15 due to a lack of funding. Its video archive will also go offline at that time. A message on its website states, “Programming will resume for one year when adequate funds are contributed to cover the network’s 2026 operational budget of $887,000.” WisconsinEye launched in 2007.
Local NBC stations are not being carried by streaming TV provider Fubo due to a dispute between the streamer and the network.
All-Christmas update: Numerous stations are making their expected switches on the Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend. Friday, Nov. 21, proved to be the biggest pre-Thanksgiving day for flips, with at least a dozen Upper Midwest stations making the switch that day. The changeovers continue to be spread across the calendar, with four more switching on Saturday or Sunday (11/22-11/23) followed by seven on Monday (11/24) and five on Wednesday (11/26). Follow all of the flips on the 2025 All-Christmas Stations page.
In case you missed it here:
- Storm Damage Knocks Five Winona, Minn., FM’s Off Air
- Ely’s WELY-FM Returns to Air After Three-Year Silence
- NRG Sells Radio Group in Nebraska’s Tri-Cities
- Omaha AM Station Swaps Sports for Santa
- Data Dump: AM Station Totals Decline; Little Change for FM, TV
- FCC Monitor: More Stations Report Reduced Power Operations
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