MAJOR WILD FIRE IN BOULDER COUNTY COLORADO---LIVE COVERAGE!

All of the Denver TV stations have broken away from network programing this afternoon due to the Boulder County Wild Fires.  KUSA Stayed on the air from the start of there Noon newscast.  CBS 4 went back on the air at 12:40PM.  KMGH went on at around 1PM, KDVR went on around 1PM & KWGN went on at around 1:20PM..     

A  75 MPH Wind Gust was reported at 2:30 at the NWS Office in Boulder (NCAR MESA LABS).  The NWS office is currently on Emergency standby generator.

HERE ARE THE LINKS TO LIVE WILD FIRE  COVERAGE FROM THE DENVER STATIONS...

 

  

(KUSA-TV Image)

 

(KUSA): https://www.9news.com/watch?vid=93a388db-6989-4790-a218-16b732ef8dc9 

(KCNC):  https://www.cbsnews.com/live/cbsn-local-den/ 

(KMGH):https://www.thedenverchannel.com/ 

  (KDVR): https://kdvr.com/live/fox31/

(KWGN): https://kdvr.com/live/kwgn/ 

 

Anchor Molly Hendrickson has left Denver's 7

KMGH Morning anchor Molly Hendrickson has left KMGH.  There is no word on her future plans, she was with the station for more than 10 Years.   And started out in the newsroom as a freelancer.

Good Luck!!!   

Here is a video clip from KMGH. https://fb.watch/acF0gmDBJ8/

 

  

(Molly Hendrickson  Photo: KMGH)

FOX31 has a new 4pm newscast.

FOX 31 has added a new 4PM newscast, it started last week with game 1 of the World Series on FOX.      At the same time Colorado's own Channel 2 has dropped it's 4PM newscast, instead of the newscast being 30mins like it was over on KWGN, this is a new hour long newscast.  Jeremy Hubbard & Erika Gonzalez anchor the new newscast.  

 

 

 

 

Former 9NEWS & NEWS4 Anchor Linda Benzel has passed away.

Former Anchor woman Linda Benzel has passed away at 72, according to 9NEWS.  Linda anchored newscasts at 9NEWS & NEWS4 (CBS4) in the mid to late 1980s, and broke many barriers doing so.  She was the first female anchor at 9NEWS breaking a long male dominated newsroom.   She also was very active in the community while on air here, in her later years she and her husband moved to Tennessee.

She anchored 9NEWS AT FOUR O'CLOCK, when KUSA was still an ABC Station.

 

Here are some videos from 9NEWS about Linda. 

https://www.9news.com/video/news/local/former-9news-anchor-linda-benzel-dies-at-72/73-fe0702ba-39af-4b71-b991-dfcceb348338  

https://www.9news.com/video/news/local/next/denver-news-anchor-linda-benzel/73-5b5f7ad6-573f-4bed-91b5-4368f4719755

 

                                                                                                                                                

 

 (Linda Benzel--with Ed Sardella in the late 80s  Picture: Jim Benemann / Via Twitter:@JimCBS4) 

 

 

 

 Linda Benzel on the anchor desk.   (Picture: KUSA-TV )  

 

     

Reporter Joshua Short has joined KDVR/KFCT FOX31.

Reporter Joshua Short has joined KDVR / KFCT as a weekday reporter and weekend anchor.  He comes to FOX31 from South Bend, Indiana. His first day on the air was this past weekend.   He comes to FOX31 from WNDU--16NEWS NOW the NBC Affiliate in South Bend, where he has spent the last 4 years.

 

Joshua Short (Photo: KDVR)  

Tegna & Dish re-trans fight.

Tegna Media stations across the country including 9NEWS & Channel 20 are now off Dish Network as the two sides fight over a new re-trans agreement.  As per usual the two sides are at odds over how much Dish should be paying Tegna to carry it's stations on it's service.  

And per usual we have a clock going to see how long it takes the two sides to come to an agreement. 

68 Stations across the country are affected by this blackout.  Stay Tuned! 

Here is more on the blackout: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tegna-local-tv-stations-removed-031950711.html

         

 

 

Colorado's Own Channel 2 drops 11PM newscast

KWGN has dropped it's 11PM late newscast.  It was on the air for 5 years.  It now has repeats of the Simpsons in it's place. 

The newscast was created in response to folks moving to the Denver metro area from the east & west coasts where most network affiliates air an 11PM newscast. (Most FOX stations air a 10PM newscast in those markets).   

 KWGN has also changed the name of it's 7PM newscast from "Channel 2 News @ 7: to, "2 Prime News"

 

There is no word on whether KDVR will extend it's 10pm newscast beyond 10:30. 

 

 

 

Meagan O'Halloran has left KDVR/KFCT FOX31

Morning anchor Meagan O'Halloran has left FOX31NEWS, yesterday was her last day on the morning news program "Fox31 Morning News", she is headed to Washington D.C. to work for a new national newscast called "The National Desk" (She will be on the Evening Edition of that newscast) from media company Sinclair Broadcast Group, this is a similar effort to "News Nation" the national news block from Nexstar Media Group, FOX31's parent company.  

FOX 31 has brought in anchor Ashley Ryan from KOTV in Tulsa, OK where she has spent the last 3 years, to take her place on the morning newscast. Ryan's first day on the air is August 16, 2021.   As the revolving door at FOX31 & Colorado's Own Channel 2 continues. 

 

Megan O'Halloran (Picture:Denver Post)

Here is the press release from FOX31 about Ms. Ryan: https://kdvr.com/press-release/ashley-ryan-to-join-kdvr-tv-fox31-as-weekday-morning-co-anchor/

The KMGH Studio facilities have been sold.

After months of debate & landmark fighting, it was announced this afternoon that Scripps Media has sold the KMGH  studio facilities to Property Markets Group & Greybrook Realty Partners, who plan on building a 14,000SF commercial space plus residence's.  

The project has been named "Society Denver".  They have other properties in Florida called "Society Living".  There is no word yet on when KMGH plans to move out of the building or where they will be going, we should learn about that soon though. 

KMGH has been broadcasting from this facility since 1972 when it was known as "The KLZ Communications Center". 

H/T: Denver Business Journal.

Full article here:https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2021/07/16/denver7-speer-apartments-sold-pmg-greybrook.html

 

 

    

 

     

(KMGH/KCDO Studios--- (Picture: RoadsideArchitecture.com / KMGH) 

9NEWS has hired a new reporter from Indianapolis.

You will be seeing a new face on 9NEWS because 9NEWS & Channel 20 have hired reporter Darius Johnson from duopoly WXIN & WTTV in Indianapolis, prior to Indy he was at NBC station WSAV in Savannah, GA . 

He started on-air this week.

  

Darius Johnson (Photo: KUSA / KTVD) 

     

 

 

 

 

Colorado's Own Channel 2 has a new anchor.

Anchor Katie Orth has joined KWGN Colorado's Own Channel 2, from KMID the ABC Station in Midland, TX a fellow Nexstar station.  Her first day on the air was Monday May 17, 2021.  She anchors the weekday editions of Channel 2 Day Break, the morning news program.  

Katie was with KMID-TV since 2017, when she graduated from Texas A&M university.

 

 

Here is a video from FOX31NOW welcoming Katie: https://kdvr.com/on-air/on-channel-2/daybreak/meet-channel-2s-new-morning-anchor-katie-orth/

 

9NEWS & Channel 20 have hired Meterologist Chris Bianchi.

 9NEWS & Channel 20 have hired Meteorologist Chris Bianchi, if this name sounds familiar to some of you, it's because he used to work for Weather Nation TV.  Weather Nation TV used to air on digital channel 9.2 or KUSA-DT2 before being replaced by CoziTV a few years ago.  

Weather Nation TV is headquartered in Centennial, CO.  However Chris went from Weather Nation TV to Spectrum News 1 in southern California where he has spent the last 10 months. 

 His first day at 9NEWS was May 27th, 2021.  His primairy task will be doing weather in English & Spanish, and he is also going to be helping to launch a yet unnamed digital streaming news  service at 9NEWS in the coming weeks.   More information on that as soon as more details become available.  

Chris Bianchi  (Photo: Weather Nation TV)

Here is a picture of Chris in the 9 Backyard at the 9NEWS Studios in Denver, this was posted to Chris's Twitter account on May 27th, 2021.

    

9NEWS & Channel 20 hire a new assistant news director.

9NEWS & Channel 20 have hired a new assistant news director, I guess promoted would be a better term here as she has been with KUSA/KTVD since 2019, most recently working on 'NEXT With Kyle Clark' as executive producer.    

Erica Tinsley has been named the new assistant news director at the Denver duopoly.

Here is the article from our friends over at TVSpy: https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/denver-tegna-station-names-assistant-news-director/231847/

9NEWS & Channel 20 have come under fire recently for it's letting go of several Hispanic journalists.

 

 

 

 

Erica Tinsley   (Photo: KUSA/KTVD) 

 

   

NEWS5 KOAA's GM is leaving the station for Ft. Myers, FL.

KOAA GM Evan Pappas has left the NBC Affiliate for Scripps FOX Affiliate WFTX in Ft. Myers, FL.

 

(Evan Pappas) 

 

Ross White has been named as his replacement, and has been promoted from within.

Here is the press release from Scripps: https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-promotes-ross-white-to-vp-and-gm-of-koaa-in-colorado-springs-colorado/

 

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Ross White  (Picture via KOAA/Scripps)  

 

    

 

 

2 Pueblo / Colorado Springs stations are changing General Managers.

FOX 21 has announced that VP & General Manager, Steve Dant has retired after 18 years at the station. And nearly 50 years in the TV industry.  His last day was Friday June 4, 2021, he came to the station from Midland, TX.  The search is now on for his replacement.

 

Stve Dant--VP & GM KXRM.  (Pic via TVSpy.com)

 

 

Kathy Walsh has retired from CBS4.

Longtime Denver anchor Kathy Walsh has retired from KCNC/CBS4 after 36 years with the station, her last day on air was last Sunday May 30th 2021.   

From all of us at Colorado News Center, Kathy enjoy your retirement  we'll miss not seeing you on air Saturdays & Sundays. 

CBS4 had a nice montage for her last Sunday and that can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6HdoGTGSik

And a look back at her career here:https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/05/29/denver-kathy-walsh-retirement-cbs4-37-years-anchor-reporter/

 

 

   

Kathy Walsh   Picture:KCNC/CBS