Julie Nelson has returned to the anchor desk at Tegna NBC affiliate KARE 11 (Minneapolis). Nelson had been off the air since June while recovering from a boating accident.
FOX O&O KMSP/9 (Minneapolis) announced that Pat Kessler, former longtime political reporter at CBS O&O WCCO-TV, will serve as a political contributor for FOX 9 ahead of the November midterm elections.
Jeff Pegues has joined Morgan Murphy Media CBS affiliate WISC-TV/3 (Madison) as executive reporter. Pegues will mentor journalists at WISC after mastering the craft at CBS News and several major-market TV stations.
Nexstar has promoted Carolyn Williamsen to vice president and general manager of CBS affiliate WFRV/5 (Green Bay).
Rick Gevers reports on a couple of recent TV news management moves: Beth Warden has departed her role as investigative reporter at Gray’s KSFY/KDLT (Sioux Falls) to become news director at Nexstar’s KCAU/9 (Sioux City), while Kristin Shill has left the news director’s office at Allen Media’s WQOW/18 (Eau Claire) to take on the same role at Gray’s WEAU/13 (Eau Claire).
A belated note that former longtime southern Minnesota radio host Lisa Kaye has joined Gray CBS/FOX/NBC affiliates KEYC/KMNF-LD (Mankato) to host lifestyle and streaming programming.
George Dorman has retired from his role as news and operations director at Kirkwood Community College’s KCCK/88.3 (Cedar Rapids) after 40 years with the station. The Corridor Business Journal reports that Doorman worked at American Forces Korea Network, KSFY-TV (Sioux Falls), and KCRG-TV9 and KCRG/1600 (Cedar Rapids) before joining KCCK.
Midwest radio veteran Charlie Stone has died of cancer at 76. According to his obituary, Stone began his career in Sioux City before moving on to Rockford and Omaha, ultimately returning to Sioux City 15 years ago to host at KSCJ/1360. The station hosted an on-air remembrance on Sept. 10.
Wisconsin Public Radio recently made some changes to its lineup. WPR News is now repeating one hour of Lee Rayburn‘s midday show at 10 p.m. weeknights; a weekly best-of program titled “Weekends with Lee Rayburn” now airs Saturdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. The network also shuffled some national programming, dropping “Bullseye” and “PRX Remix.”
North Dakota’s Prairie Public is making some changes to its weekend evening radio schedule, including the addition of “Tiny Desk Radio” at 7 p.m. Saturdays. “Prebys on Jazz” will move back an hour to 8 p.m. and expand to two hours, replacing “Saturday Night Blues Cruise.”
Audacy has launched a weekly multi-market football show called “Inside the North” airing at 8 a.m. Sundays on WSSP/1250 and W289CB/105.7 (Milwaukee), 10 a.m. Sundays on WCCO/830 (Minneapolis), and on Audacy stations in Chicago and Detroit.
“The Jason Show,” based at FOX O&O KMSP/9 (Minneapolis), has added 22 new markets, including WDAY-DT3 (Fargo) and CBS affiliate KBMY-DT2 (Bismarck). The show has already been running in many other Upper Midwest and national markets.
I was honored to join retired engineer Mark Persons and Vicki Kipp of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board on a panel about DX’ing at this year’s Midwest Regional Broadcasters Clinic. Much of the information included in my presentation is also available in previous posts in this site’s DX category.
In case you missed it here:
- Former Owner Buys Connoisseur’s Radio Group in Austin-Albert Lea
- I3G Seeks Waiver to Buy North Dakota’s KSJB/KSJZ
- Midwest Takes One Of Its Green Bay AM’s Off the Air
- FCC Monitor: Two Upper Peninsula FM’s Seek Upgrades
News tips? Press releases? If you don’t see yours here, I probably didn’t receive it! Please send them to jonellis@northpine.com!
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.