Ken Weaver – News Anchor
My radio career began as a sophomore in high school in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.
I started out playing country music, on vinyl, and anchored evening news casts for the local radio station. But my desire to be a disc jockey went away after listening and watching wall-to-wall coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area on October 17, 1989. I knew I wanted to be a news anchor for the rest of my life.
From that little AM/FM radio station in Pauls Valley I landed a gig in Tulsa for the Voice of Oklahoma, KVOO AM/FM (now KFAQ/KVOO) which was owned by Great Empire Broadcasting. I started anchoring overnights and reporting live from the scene of murders, fires, robberies, crashes and severe storm/tornado damage and eventually the Oklahoma City Bombing. I absolutely love being at the scene of breaking news and telling listeners the stories that are playing out right before my eyes. I eventually worked up to afternoon drive anchor and coordinated live coverage of breaking news. I married by wife in Tulsa and from there we went to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I anchored afternoon and evenings for Citadel Communications at 770 KKOB for two years. The big stories there included the Cerro Grande Fire which prompted the evacuation of the entire town of Los Alamos, which is home to one of our nation’s weapons labs. Also 9/11 happened during my time in Albuquerque and I remember how eerie it was for there to be no air traffic for three days but the jets and helicopters coming and going from the air force base there. My wife and I had our first child in Albuquerque before we left so I could take the news director position at KARN and the Arkansas Radio Network in Little Rock, Arkansas, also part of Citadel. I anchored mornings and dished out assignments to a great staff for nearly 3 years in Little Rock before transferring to 670 KBOI in Boise, Idaho.
I spent 10 years at KBOI, my wife and I had our son, and Boise will always have a special place in my heart. Idaho is a beautiful state and the city of Boise is a wonderful place to raise kids. But I belong in the South and couldn’t pass up an opportunity to come to Nashville.
I anchor the news on Nashville’s Morning News and I welcome all news tips and suggestions at [email protected].
My hobbies are listening to and collecting music, all kinds; football (Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys); fishing, hiking and camping and spending time with my wife and kids.
Joan Jones – News Anchor