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)