Q’s Hats in Review, Prepping for Rocky

The complaining about how much snow we “didn’t” get is taking up too much room in cyberspace. It is time to just enjoy TV reporters and the hats they are wearing out on the elements.

The last post had some doozies. Thanks for the submissions. If you have a photo to submit, send them in an email to me at IPTVPaul@gmail.com or just put them on Twitter @paulyeager.

Taylor Umland, KWQC, Davenport.

But one of the best ones came directly onto my Facebook wall. Here is the bar for today. A Wartburg College hat being worn on my old TV station, KWQC in Davenport. Taylor Umland was rocking the orange and black during his morning reports in the QC.

One of my former co-workers at KWQC was Matt Davis. Mr. Matt was a nightside reporter when I started and we would do liveshots without a hat. A certain morning radio duo named Dwyer and Michael’s would razz him on-air about not wearing a hat and looking cold on his evening live reports.

The radio guys decided to send a gift to Matt of a hat, which he would sometimes wear and other times it was just sitting on his desk, ready for the call of duty.

Bailey Dietz, KWQC, Davenport.

Sticking at KWQC, we bring in Bailey Dietz from her nightside live shot Thursday.

Former TV6 intern and now reporter at WGBA in Green Bay, WI, Jonathan Gregg is in on the action.

Jonathon Gregg

Jon is a former board member of the Iowa Broadcast News Association. I’m sure he’s already made plans to attend this year’s convention on April 20 in Johnston at the Stoney Creek Inn.

Now to some of the morning crew.

Arielle Nixon was wondering why she had to take a picture of herself wearing earmuffs. She wasn’t sure what the request was all about, but thanks to Pat Dix for this.

Pat’s Tweet.

Thanks for playing along.

Arielle Nixon, WHO, Des Moines.

Thanks to the MW ESPN bureau for this submission of KARE photojournalist Nate Anderson.

Nate Anderson, KARE, Minneapolis.

Jason Rantala, WOI, West Des Moines.

Kim St. Onge, KCCI, Des Moines.

My little reporter, Levi. That’s a hat OVER his hooded sweatshirt.

Megan Ruether is always a good sport about trying new hats and thanks to Travis Jungling for lighting up Megan Friday morning for this picture.

Megan Reuther, WHO, Des Moines.

But it was Megan’s former station that wins the day. You may remember Nikki Newbrough from last year with the space cadet interview subject.

This year she’s gone above and beyond with a sombrero and a friend, Danielle Wagner. I think Danielle is the Ice Princess? Did I get that correct?

Danielle Wagner and Nikki Newbrough of KWWL, Waterloo.

Thanks again for the submissions. We’re only a couple of days away from doing it again with Winter Storm Rocky approaching.

The Q-Tiful Hats

Winter Storm Q, at least the name The Weather Channel has given it, is alive and well.

It is also putting reporters out in the field to tell you to be careful, be safe and if you don’t have to, not travel.

I did start a Tumblr blog that is just the reporters and their hats. Check it out sometime.

This blog will still post pictures of reporters wearing hats while out standing in their field.

Megan Salois, WHO, Des Moines.

Jill Kasparie, KCRG, Cedar Rapids.

Kevin Phelps, KWQC, Davenport.

Now to the Omaha/Council Bluffs market and Cheryl Lemke.

Cheryl Lemke WOWT, Omaha.

Wait a minute, where is Becca’s hat?

Becca Habegger of KWWL, Waterloo.

Arielle Nixon, WHO.

Chris Conoan, WOI, West Des Moines.

Thanks for taking time to read the blog.

Patrick Bell, KCCI.

Phil Prazen, WOI, West Des Moines.

Vanessa Peng, KCCI.

Jessica Daley, WOI, West Des Moines.

And finally, WHO’s new reporter is setting the standard we haven’t seen in quite some time. Enjoy the photo of Jodi Whitworth. A big thanks to Lee Rouse for the snapshot. He’s a legend and he did it again.

Jodi Whitworth, WHO, Des Moines.

If you have a hat to share with others, send me a photo to IPTVPaul@gmail.com

He Gone. Hassel Beaming Off To the Mothership

Farewell, Chris Hassel. (photo from @poundHassel )

Say goodbye to Cooter Ray. And Gary Dolphin. And Mad Fran. Plus the guy from HR and whatever other character Chris Hassel dreamed up in his 5.5 years at WHO-HD.

He’s now on his way to “The Show.” The pride of Muscatine is headed to Bristol, CT and ESPN News’ “Highlight Express.”

I’ve known Chris since his days at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. He was a student who also anchored the Sunday night sports on the Fox 18 KLJB broadcasts. He was still in college and was anchoring on professional station. During his senior year as a Bee, he cleaned up at the Iowa Broadcast News Association awards banquet in Clear Lake.

Chris won almost every category in student TV and radio plus professional TV and radio. He was also calling games for WOC-AM in Davenport in addition to working in the news and sports departments.

Then-News Director Mark Minnick told the crowd, news directors specifically, to hire this guy.

Mark was right.

Chris landed at 1801 Grand and made an impression immediately. His humor was boundary pushing. His editing, precise. But it may be some of the  segments on SoundOff that will be his legacy.

This is still one of my favorites. Chris and Andy pair up for pure genius in this Stivers Ford behind the scenes segment. http://youtu.be/Nt6NSBml-wo

He even took a shot at Marty Tirrell, the Mouth of the Midwest.

Chris Hassel tees off at the Legacy Golf Course. (DM Register photo).

But it was the “Little Lick, Lotta Bite” that may have put him in the most hot water.

His Hazzle Dazzle production on Todd Lickliter’s ruffled a few feathers. Lickliter was the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Iowa.

Chris will tell you most of the things he’s done are from the brain of Keith Murphy, sports director at WHO-HD.

Before Chris, it was Andy Fales who turned Murph’s ideas into reality. The trio was incredibly talented in so many areas. Sports almost seemed their secondary specialty.

Here is the Little Lick clip.

Chris is a known night owl and those odd ESPN hours will likely suit him just fine.

One former professor told me recently no student came more prepared for their assignment than Mr. Hassel. I think that’s holding true again as he makes this move.

And now he’s just been named 2012 Iowa Sportscaster of the Year. That’s a nice parting gift.

The Franchise Signs Off

As Ed Wilson tweeted: Bachman bye- bye cake. Nobody would touch his hair.

Friday marks the last day of John Bachman‘s tenure at WHO-TV in Des Moines.

After more than a quarter century, the main male of Channel 13 will say goodnight for the last time. After stops in Cedar Rapids, Chicago and Minneapolis, John delivered news to Iowans through huge events like the floods of 1993, the closing of Maytag and those tiny events known as the Iowa Caucuses.

Several video tributes have been played this week including one from Jane Pauley on Thursday night. Even his son, also an anchor, came by for a visit.

One internal story was done by Andy Fales. One of the best moments came from three newsroom employees just watching John work. One of those near his desk was his successor, Dan Winters.

Dan will now sit next to Erin Kiernan at 1801 Grand Avenue.

During my three tours at Channel 13, John was consistent, rarely missing a word from his perch.

Best to the Franchise as he heads into retirement. The big question for the Waverly HS graduate and son of the former president at Wartburg College is, how many rounds of golf can he play each year?

Summer Breeze of Media Moves

We know that the Godfather (John Walters) has moved from ABC5 to Iowa State University.

More sports shorts…

John Sears comes back to Des Moines and adds four numbers to his station channel assignment. Sears goes from KCRG TV 9 to WHO-TV13. He’ll work under Keith Murphy and replaces Zach Borg.

Molly Nelson has already left KCCI for a position at DMACC.

Another TV8 staffer departs soon. Keri Gavin will leave the news business and KCCI within days.

My old pal Beth Marsoun had the interim tag removed and now is News Director at KWQC in Davenport. Beth started as an intern, then tape editor, producer, executive producer and now is the boss.

Across the river, WQAD is settling into a new main female anchor. Denise Hnytka is new 5, 6, and 10p anchor at the ABC affiliate.  Hnytka replaces Rae Chelle Davis.

Jonathon Gregg has pulled up stakes at CRI in Oskaloosa and become a Packer fan in Green Bay at NBC 26. WGBA hired him to one-man-band, among other things. His boss is former KWWL sports director Bob Healey. Jon’s former boss at CRI was Tami Wiencek, another past-KWWL’er.

Gregg served on the IBNA Board of Directors until April. Another board member Dean Borg, is recovering after a weekend fall. Borg broke an ankle, leg and also had a pacemaker installed. Dean is efficient in his medical visits. He’ll probably show the scars this weekend on Iowa Press. Yes, he wants to be back on air this weekend.

And making his debut on the journal of rural America is Mike Pearson. The Grinnell banker steps to the mic to succeed his father, Mark. The elder Pearson passed away in June.

What else needs to be reported? Drop me a line: IPTVPaul@gmail.com

 

Just because they may be thin, doesn’t mean the hats aren’t mighty

Nikki Newbrough, KWWL - TV Waterloo.

Thank goodness winter is here. We needed the snow to help bring out the hats.

We had one crop already this season. This would be the second round of lids.

We begin with Wartburg grad and now KWWL reporter Nikki Newbrough. She is the morning reporter for the NBC affiliate. Translation: She can be silly when needed.

Nikki's live shot on earth.

Earlier in the day, Nikki was at the University of Northern Iowa campus asking students about the cold and snow. Her interview almost stole the show. He was in a NASA-type space suit.

Earth to UNI dude, nice hat.

You can see in this picture, Nikki put the space helmet on her head for this still frame.

Brian Boesen, KWQC - HD, live on Brady Street Hill in Davenport.

Brian Boesen is reporting on Brady Street Hill in Davenport. I’ve done that shot a few times in my career.

The KWQC reporter and I met backstage at the Girl Scouts Night on Broadway a couple of months back.

I also met the clubhouse leader for hats in 2012, Megan Ottier that night in Bettendorf. More on her in a moment.

Back to Brian… I did ask him if he was related to the Des Moines Boesen’s. Specifically, former Dowling Catholic TE Ben Boesen who is now playing football at Iowa State. No relation between the two. Yes, I was that guy who asked.

Angie Hunt, KCCI - TV Des Moines.

Back to Central Iowa and an ‘ole favorite for hats here at PP&M and that would be Angie Hunt.

The Ames bureau reporter has been captured with many great lids on her head the last few years. She gets the plum assignments in all corners of the viewing area, many northern points, so wearing a good head topper is vital to her good health.

Thank you to Angie.

Krystle Kacner , WHO - HD Des Moines

Newly hired reporter Krystle Kacner of WHO-HD is now getting into the hat game. She’s new to the area and to the station.

But her hat is one of veteran caliber.

As she settles in, we’ll get her to tweet a couple of pictures of herself wearing a hat.

Chris Earl, KCRG Cedar Rapids

And back to eastern Iowa and KCRG reporter/anchor Chris Earl.

Mr. Earl deserves special attention for this furry wonder on his head.

Would you call that Cousin Eddy’s hat from Christmas Vacation? Or is that more Daniel Boone?

Now back to the hat that I received the most in my inbox.

Morgan Ottier of KWQC opens the competition with a home run.

Megan’s hat is spectacular. But some question if the hat is for show or if she’s serious about wearing the hat. Better yet, is she serious while wearing that hat?

I know many reporters were looking forward to getting out in the elements this weekend to talk about the ice and snow, but it looks like those pictures will have to wait, as the next winter death storm is staying to the west.

So Lauren Squires, bring us your hats from the Omaha market.

If you know of a hat to share, send the pic to IPTVPaul@gmail.com .

Former WHO and WOI anchor passes away

Bobbi Bergman in her WOI days.

For years, Bobbi Bergman was the first person many people saw when they woke up in Des Moines. As part of the WHO-TV and later WOI news team, she got up early to bring you the news.

Bergman later anchored the weekend evening news at WOI-TV.

Bobbi left the news business and her on-air identity as Bobbi Bergman, a couple of years ago and among many things was a wedding officiant.

Bobbi also spent time officiating weddings.

Now her friends and family are searching for meaning in her passing.

Bobbi Silvernail Brunscheon died November 27th, 2011.

According to friends who’ve talked to her husband, Bobbi was complaining of shortness of breath Thursday, stopped breathing that day and never recovered.

Her Facebook page is being used to distribute information about her passing. Her husband posted this update today.

I would like to thank all of Bobbi’s friends for the condolences and kind words. Bobbi was a very special person and had a heart of gold. The two years I spent with her were the two best years of my life. I loved her and made sure I told her that every day. I will miss her beautiful smile and her good energy she provided to me when I was down. I love you Bobbi Silvernail Brunscheon!!!

Bobbie was very much a people person, loved to engage in good debate and above all, made sure you knew she was a huge Michigan fan.

Friend Brooke Bouma posted this in the WHO’s The Morning Buzz blog.

 I met her when I first started working at WHO in 2000 and I was lucky to count her as a friend over the years. She was a lively spirit and I she always put a smile on my face. I talked to her husband yesterday and he told me doctors still don’t know what happened. She stopped breathing Thursday morning and never recovered.

Click on this link to read the entire post from Brooke.

I was able to find a little more bio information Bobbi for those interested.

Bobbi Bergman joined the ABC5 news team in December 2005 as the weekend anchor. Her decade long journalism career has taken her to Washington, D.C., Rapid City, South Dakota and Minneapolis, and she most recently worked for WHO-TV in Des Moines. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio. She also attended American University in Washington, D.C.

Bobbi is a champion baton twirler and a former “Mrs. Iowa.” She is active in the Des Moines community and serves as president-elect for VSA Arts of Iowa, a non-profit group that promotes the creative power of people with disabilities.

Her obituary is posted here. Funeral services will be Wednesday.

Lip sweaters plus battles between hot reporters and meteorologists

The leaves are all but gone from the trees and some of your favorite reporters and anchors have vanished, too. And in one case, an entire news department.

We’ll go west to east in Iowa.

Zach Tecklenberg

Humboldt native, Drake and WHO-TV alum Zach Tecklenburg has pulled up stakes from KTIV in Sioux City. He’s travelled south on I-29, around the formerly flooded Missouri River and landed in Kansas City at NBC Action News.

That’s KSHB-TV 41 on your dial.

That is also the same station of former WOI and WHBF reporter Sloane Heller.

Mike Peasley (submitted photo to SC Journal).

Former KCAU reporter Mike Peasley is now in Dallas. That’s not the news, but the former sports director at KICD Radio in Spencer covered another big sporting event, the World Series between your Texas Rangers and the new world champion St. Louis Cardinals. This write-up in the Sioux City Journal relives one of my favorite Mike stories from his first election night covering Congressman Tom Latham‘s win. Mike though, is one being affected by the NBA lockout. He was covering the Dallas Mavericks. Now there’s now Mavs to cover. Thanks owners and players for dinking my friend and his family that doesn’t make the NBA league minimum.

The stork is coming back to Iowa’s News Leader. KCCI morning anchor Katie Ward is expecting. She said so in a promo with anchor Steve Karlin. This is her second child. Also in the spot are Wes Callison and the new traffic reporter, Jackie Schmillen.

New Raygun shirt.

Wes is also featured on a new Raygun T-shirt. The Village of East Des Moines t-shirt shop put the meteorologists from KCCI and WHO.

The chiefs are in the middle of the ring. John “Umbrella of Pain” McLaughlin and Ed “Pressures Rising” Wilson are shirtless and gloved to do battle. Also on the shirt, Kurtis “Flash Flood” Gertz, Metinka “Hail Damage” Slater, Wes “Patchy Fog” Callison of Channel 8.

The Channel 13 line up card: Jeriann “The F5″ Ritter, Megan “Mega Doppler” Salois and Brett “Tornadic Activity” McIntire.

Great shirt. Great fun by all. Also makes a great stocking stuffer for your favorite weather geek, or even media blogger.

Keith Murphy sporting the Stache. (Image from KXNO.com)

Also from the folks at Channel 13, the razors appear broken at Keith Murphy‘s house.

WHO-HD sports director and show host at KXNO has a lip sweater this month. He’s taking part in the Movember  or Stash For Cash cause to benefit cancer awareness. This also got John Bachman to porn stache on TV. Awesome.

Also taking part is KCNZ’s Jesse Gavin.

Natasha Chughtai and Eileen Loan ring bells for the Salvation Army. (Photo from KWWL Facebook page).

KWWL-TV has brought in a new female anchor. Natasha Chughtai replaces Sunny Layne who left the station in October. Chughtai’s most recent stops were in Oregon and Alaska. She’s a native Minnesotan.

Layne’s co-anchor had changed in the last six months when Jeff Eliasoph came to work at E. 4th Street. Jeff’s in for Bob Waters who was moved back down the lane to weekends. Layne is looking to move closer to home.

WithOutCoverage is complete. Clear Channel made more cuts to operations across the country, this time slicing WOC AM 1420′s Newsteam. Gone is last man standing, Nick Lindberg. Already out the door were Mark Minnick and Phil Roberts. QC reports are anchored at the “hub” of Des Moines to provide for the “spoke” of Davenport.  Dan Kennedy and Jim Fisher are the last local program offerings from WOC.

Tiffany Tift needs your votes.

Former KWQC -TV6 reporter Tiffany Tift needs your votes. Tift is now a reporter in Orlando at WOFL Fox 35. A local radio station is holding Central Florida’s Hottest Broadcaster poll. Tiffany is asking for your votes. Click here for the contest.

I wouldn’t openly solicit votes on her behalf if I wasn’t such a fan of hers. She was brave to take her first TV job in the QC after spending most of her life in Florida. That winter was life experience.

Another former QC reporter is changing jobs. Meredith Wood is now closer to home. The Alabama native former WHBF reporter is now at WAAY-TV in Huntsville. She will be the noon and 4p anchor at the end of November. She comes from WCHS-TV in West Virginia. Here’s a look at her welcome video.

Tom Hudson gets a little mic treatment while talking to Andrew Batt.

Iowa Public Television (my employer) recently partnered with the National Association of Manufactures for a Republican candidate forum. Tom Hudson of the PBS program Nightly Business Report. Hudson is a Davenport native, Central High grad and former reporter for WOC Radio. Hudson

And on another personal note, I’ll be headed back to the Quads for a good cause. Coming to the stage on December, media members do their best to entertain and help the Girl Scouts of Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa. According to my friend through the event, David Burke, this started in 2003. So, that would be the year I donned a toga for the cause.

What will I do this year? I’ve been asked to return. Not sure what exactly I’ve agreed to. You’ll just have to click here to help the organization.

The list of entertainers includes: Steve Ketelaar and Mark Manuel MC’s. Performers: Bailey Deitz, Meredith Dennis, Lori Evans, Ron Evans, Jason Fechner, Johanna Klossing, Erin Lounsberry, Susan McPeters, Mike Mickle, Art Monroe, Brian Nelson, Morgan Ottier, Marissa Pendergast, Paula Perez, Tami Seitz and me.

See you December 8th for the fun.

Is that irony when the weather radar is knocked out by a storm?

The lonesome WHO-HD radar tower.

Sorry for the delay in updating the site. Amy and I actually took a vacation. You may be subject to some of our travels to Napa Valley, San Francisco and AT&T Park.

We begin with the storm that no one knew was coming.

Early Monday morning, severe weather rolled through central into east-central Iowa.

One of the first things damaged was WHO-HD’s doppler radar located on a tower in Alleman, Iowa. Chief Meteorologist Ed Wilson posted this picture on his Twitter account Monday afternoon of the remaining tower section.

WHO-HD radar damaged. (WHOTV.com)

Here’s another photo from the story that WHO did on the damage in Story County.

The station will use National Weather Service Radar until repairs are made. The pieces of the radar did some damage to a nearby farm, but no one was hurt by the debris. Here’s a link to the story that aired in the 5p newscast of Channel 13.

Rival station KCCI did a story on the radar’s damage. You can watch it here.

Sarah Thompsen, WBAY photo

The storm continued east into Tama County doing widespread damage, especially the town of Garwin. One farm damaged was that of Wartburg Comm Arts alum Sarah Thomsen’s parents. Some may remember her at Miss Tama County, but now she’s your 4p News Anchor at WBAY-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Her mother was interviewed by Ch. 13. Sarah’s sister, Susan, was a reporter at KIMT-TV in Mason City a few years back. You can watch the story here.

Graduations, returns and get wells for friends

The master, the doctor and the bachelor all together. (Photo from UNI.edu)

A few old friends are making news.

First we begin with my old English teacher (must not have been THAT great at his job if you visit this site on a regular basis) Roark Horn and his family recently hit a big milestone at the University of Northern Iowa. Horns aplenty is the title of this story. Mr. Horn, now head of the AEA 267, along with daughters Shannon and Megan all received degrees from UNI. One a PhD, a master’s and a bachelor’s.

I’ll never forget that speech from him at prom, back when the teacher’s still did a speech. He also was one of my baseball coaches and served as golf coach during my time at Jesup High School.

A friend from Wartburg who now lives in Jesup, posted the following story Thursday. The Today Show occasionally will put together a great story and not just blather about Arnold/Lindsey/Natalee Holloway.

This story was about a former Simpson College national champion wrestler named Nick Ackerman. He now is in a line of work helping others like him. Oh, did I mention he doesn’t have any feet? He’s an amputee giving others legs to stand on. He became a wrestling champ without legs; now he builds them for others.

A person I got to know in college while we were interns at WHO-TV, later became my boss at KWQC-TV in Davenport. April Samp came to the QC via OK City and Kansas City. She eventually moved on to Cedar Rapids to run the newsroom at KGAN/KFXA. During that time she became a mother. Becoming a parent changes a reporter or producer. She won’t admit it, but I think it changed her hard charging ways. April took a job in 2010 in Virginia at WAVY-TV as news director. Friday was her last day. She’s coming back to Iowa and for now, getting out of news.

Fran Riley and Paul Yeager in the KWQC-TV6 Newsroom in September of 2006.

And a note about another KWQC employee. Everyone’s friend Fran Riley is recovering from his brain tumor. The station did post this storyabout him awhile back.

I just wanted to make sure we all have the story on what happened to him. The full story is below as posted on KWQC.com.

Also, continued prayers for Paula Sands as she deals with ovarian cancer. The station has set up a place to send notes to Paula and Fran.

Click here to send a note to Paula.

Dave Marcoulier and Mark Amadeo in the Freirich Field press box in Urbandale. 2009 photo.

And finally I want to say congratulations to Mark Amadeo.

The real voice of the West Des Moines Dowling Catholic Maroons will be enshrined into the DCHS Hall of Fame at the football game with Ankeny. So, on September 30, we’ll have Mark back on the radio.

There’s another guy who is putting his family first as he stepped aside for a couple of years to see his son play football at Prairie City Monroe. This year, his son’s coach will be former DCHS assistant coach Greg Bonnett
Greg Bonnett. Greg was a standout player as a Mustang.

And now the full note on Fran.

Long-time KWQC-TV6 reporter Fran Riley was covering a story on a family struck by tragedy when suddenly, he found himself fighting for his own life. On Friday April 1st, Riley just wrapped up an interview with Don Reed of Morrison, Illinois. Reed’s father was murdered in a two-state killing spree in 2008. Riley was getting ready to head back to the station when he started to feel ill. He was taken to the hospital. Mr. Reed and KWQC-TV6 Photographer Mike Colon stayed by his side until Riley was transferred to University Hospitals in Iowa city where doctors determined he had a brain tumor.

On Thursday, April 7th Fran Riley underwent 12 hours of surgery to remove the tumor on the front of his brain. One week later, he is back at home, recovering. We kept quiet about the surgery out of respect for his privacy. But he recently granted a live telephone interview with Quad City radio personalities Dwyer and Michaels, and for those who know him, it’s no surprise that he was humble and gracious.

“This morning it was flowers, cards, food. The outpouring of support has been just tremendous,” said Riley who joked about the incident occurring on April Fool’s day.

Riley says he’s surprised by the response from the public because he’s “just a guy doing a job he likes to do.”

Riley credits everyone’s prayers, his doctors and his wife for pulling him through.