KQDS - TVSpy

Brandon Spinner Named Chief Meteorologist at KDLT in Sioux Falls

Merrill Knox — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:27:32 +0000

Brandon Spinner has been promoted to chief meteorologist at KDLT, the NBC affiliate in Sioux Falls.

Spinner joined KDLT in March as the morning meteorologist. He replaces Cody Matz, who is leaving KDLT to join KMSP in Minneapolis.

“I am confident Brandon will do a great job moving to our evening newscasts. He is an extremely hard worker, and he will bring a lot of enthusiasm to KDLT News at 5, 6 and 10,” KDLT news director Paul Heinert said in a statement.

Before joining KDLT, Spinner worked at KQDS in Duluth, Minn.

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Julie Moravchik Hired as WDAZ News Director

Merrill Knox — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:07:03 +0000

Julie Moravchick has been hired as news director at WDAZ, the ABC affiliate in Grand Forks, N.D., according to the Duluth News Tribune.

Moravchik is a former producer at KQDS, the Fox affiliate in Duluth. She has also worked as news director of WAST in Ashland and as a at reporter WDIO in Duluth. Since 2011, she has been an account executive at Duluth-Superior magazine.

“It was good for me to work at the magazine and try another job and get another perspective,” Moravchik told the News Tribune. “Then you realize how much you miss it. When big news happens, that’s when you really, really realize what you’re supposed to be doing. You’re used to being on the front lines … part of it.”

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Former KQDS Meteorologist Chris Snider Dies of Cancer

Kevin Eck — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:25:37 +0000

Chris Snider, the former meteorologist for Duluth FOX affiliate KQDS who was fighting an aggressive form of bone cancer, died Friday morning.

Snider’s sister Tabatha posted the news to the Support Chris Snider facebook page, “We lost Chris very early this morning. He fought a long battle with grace, humor, compassion and absolute dignity. I was and forever will be proud to say he is my brother. On behalf of my family we would like to personally thank everyone of you who donated or took the time to send a message or video of support.”

Snider worked for KQDS from 2008 until 2011 when he left to perform missionary work in the South. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma while living in Biloxi, MS. After learning the cancer was terminal, Snider returned home to Minnesota in January to live with his sister Tabatha. continued…

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News Director Who Resigned Over Facebook Controversy Set to Join KGAN as Morning Anchor

Merrill Knox — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:58:19 +0000

Jason Vincent, the news director who resigned from KQDS earlier this month after posting a disparaging comment about Native Americans on his Facebook page, is joining KGAN, the Duluth News-Tribune reports.

Vincent will be the morning anchor at KGAN, the CBS-affiliate in Cedar Rapids.

Vincent was the news director at KQDS, the Fox-affiliate in Duluth. In early August, he posted a status update to his Facebook page that read: “Add drunk, homeless, Native American man to the list of animals that have wandered into my yard.” continued…

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News Director Resigns Over Facebook Controversy

Andrew Gauthier — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:52:48 +0000

KQDS news director Jason Vincent, who came under fire last week after referring to a Native American man as an animal on his personal Facebook page, has resigned from his post at the Fox-affiliate in Duluth, MN.

“KQDS FOX 21 TV accepted the resignation of Jason Vincent, News Director,” KQDS general manager Jackie Bruenjes said in a statement Monday. “Jason has elected to take a new job assignment. We wish Jason the best.”

In a statement issued on Friday, Bruenjes emphasized that Vincent was “on personal time” when he wrote the controversial Facebook post and said that she expected him to return to work on Monday. continued…

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Fox-Affiliate Apologizes for News Director’s Facebook Post as Rival Stations Cover Protest Over His Remarks

Andrew Gauthier — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:59:06 +0000

As KQDS went into damage control mode following a controversial Facebook post from its news director, Jason Vincent, rival stations WDIO and KBJR sent camera crews to the Duluth Fox-affiliate to capture footage of a handful of protesters who had gathered outside of the station.

In a recent post on his personal Facebook page, Vincent wrote, “Add drunk, homeless, Native American man to the list of animals that have wandered into my yard.”

The remark drew the ire of local civil rights leaders and several people assembled outside of KQDS on Friday, calling for Vincent’s resignation. continued…

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News Director Under Fire For Facebook Post About ‘Drunk, Homeless Native American’

Andrew Gauthier — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:50:44 +0000

Jason Vincent, news director at KQDS, the Fox-affiliate in Duluth, MN, has come under fire after he posted a message on his personal Facebook page this week in which he referred to a Native American man as an animal.

“Add drunk, homeless, Native American man to the list of animals that have wandered into my yard,” Vincent wrote on his Facebook page, according to the Duluth News Tribune. “Then he proceed[ed] to wave at me and give me the peace sign when he spotted me in the window. Wow.”

Vincent eventually deleted the message but not before a screenshot of it began circulating online. continued…

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KQDS Expands 9 p.m. Newscast to Full Hour

Andrew Gauthier — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:03:46 +0000

Duluth Fox-affililate KQDS debuted an expanded 9 p.m. newscast on Monday, adding a half-hour to its weekday local news programming.

“We have been working for months to prepare for this day,” KQDS news director Jason Vincent said on Monday, “and are so excited to bring a new, exciting newscast to the Northland.”

According to the station, it is the first primetime hour-long local newscast in northern Minnesota, northwest Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

KQDS’s 9 p.m. team includes (above, right) anchors Dan Hanger and Diane Alexander, meteorologist Jason Sydejko, and Greg Chandler on sports.

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KQDS Hires Diane Alexander to Anchor Evening News

Merrill Knox — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:23:20 +0000

KQDS, the Fox affiliate in Duluth, has hired Diane Alexander to be the 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. co-anchor. Her first broadcasts are tonight.

Alexander, who will anchor the evening broadcasts alongside Dan Hanger, started her television career as a reporter at KVRR in Fargo before leaving the station to take a break from television. She said she was “thrilled to be back in the news industry.”

“Diane is a fantastic addition to the FOX 21 News, and I’m fully confident the Northland will warm up to her instantly,” news director Jason Vincent said.

Alexander replaces Nick LaFave, who left the station last month for an anchor position at KTAL in Shreveport.

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Anchor Tracee Tolentino Leaves KQDS For WKRN

Merrill Knox — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:07:48 +0000

Tracee Tolentino, a weekend anchor at KQDS, is headed to WKRN in Nashville as a fill-in anchor. Her last day at the Duluth station is Monday.

Tolentino, who joined the station just last year, is the third anchor this month to depart from the Duluth Fox affiliate, The Duluth News Tribune reports. Tolentino follows the early August departure of weeknight anchor Nick LaFave, who left for KTAL in Shreveport, and the mid-August departure of Makenzi Henderson, who has not disclosed future plans.

For her part, Tolentino said the move was purely an opportunity to broadcast in a larger market. She told The News Tribune that her ultimate goal was to report in her home state of California.

LaFave, who was one of the station’s original anchors, addressed the turnover when he announced his departure on Facebook in July. “The deeper truth is that, despite the turnover, FOX 21 has done nothing but increase in ratings and quality every single ratings period,” he wrote. “That’s because it’s a TEAM product, not dependent on any one person.”

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KQDS Anchor Nick LaFave Leaves Duluth for KTAL

Merrill Knox — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:38:38 +0000

KQDS evening anchor Nick LaFave will leave the Duluth station on August 2 to become a lead co-anchor at KTAL in Shreveport.

LaFave has been the main anchor at the Fox affiliate since the station launched in 2007. His move to Shreveport is a jump of 57 markets. “He’s definitely moving on to bigger and better things, and I couldn’t be more happy for him,” KQDS news director Jason Vincent told The Duluth News Tribune.

LaFave is the last of the original anchors to remain at KQDS, but the station will continue to grow despite the turnover, LaFave wrote on his Facebook page.”FOX 21 has done nothing but increase in ratings and quality every single ratings period,” he wrote. “That’s because it’s a TEAM product, not dependent on any one person.”

LaFave will anchor the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. broadcasts at KTAL, which is the NBC affiliate in Shreveport, beginning August 10.

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