Local News Close-Up: St. Louis Born and Bred

Stations everywhere take pride in having a main anchor who comes from the market they represent. That applies in St. Louis, too, but it also pertains to general managers. The bosses at KTVI-KPLR, KMOV and KSDK were all born and raised there.

“St. Louisans love St. Louisans,” KTVI-KPLR VP and general manager Kurt Krueger said. “It gives me a special insight into what viewers like, and what they want to tune into.”

Nexstar Media Group owns that duopoly, a Fox-The CW pair. Tegna owns NBC affiliate KSDK. Gray Television has CBS affiliate KMOV and Sinclair holds ABC affiliate KDNL.

Spectrum is DMA No. 24’s primary pay TV operator.

Also Read: Check Out Our Local News Close-Up Profiles on Dozens of U.S. Markets

The general managers have been around for some time. Tom Tipton became KDNL general manager way back in 1998, according to LinkedIn. (He did not return calls for comment.) Alicia Elsner took over as KSDK president and general manager in late 2016. Krueger has spent 26 years at KTVI-KPLR, the last 5½ as general manager. JD Sosnoff is approaching his fourth anniversary as KMOV GM.

It is an intense three-way ratings race. In March, KMOV won the households race at 6 a.m., according to Nielsen ratings provided by a St. Louis source, and KTVI prevailed in the 25-54 demo. At 5 p.m., KSDK won households and split the demo battle with KMOV and KTVI. At 6 p.m., KSDK won both races. On to late news, where KMOV averaged a 5.1 in households at 10, KSDK a 3.5 and KTVI a 2.5. In the 10 p.m. demo, KMOV had a 1.2, and KSDK and KTVI a 1.0.

KDNL, known as ABC 30, does not offer local news, and airs Sinclair newscast The National Desk at 5 and 10 p.m.

New Building, New Branding

KMOV has some new stuff going on. The station moved into a new facility in December. It has two control rooms, two studios and what Sosnoff called “a very modern and very authentic St. Louis feel” to the sets, including red brick and industrial steel.

“We can serve the community better,” Sosnoff said. “We can do more modern things we couldn’t do before.”

In 2022, KMOV went with First Alert Weather branding and when the move happened late last year, swapped out its News 4 Watching Out for You brand for First Alert 4.

“It has been really well-received,” Sosnoff said.

New programming at KMOV includes 3 p.m. weekday program My St. Louis Live!, which offers local food, travel and events, and Saturday-night sports show The Nightcap on 4.

“When Gray bought KMOV, one of the first things they did was invest in growing local content and getting more involved in the community,” Sosnoff said.

KSDK is the only St. Louis station that’s still downtown, not far from the Gateway Arch. “We’re right in the thick of it,” Elsner said. “We are committed to staying downtown even though everyone has moved out to the county. We need to be part of the change, part of the resurgence.”

Crime remains a persistent issue downtown, but the general managers said recent trends have them guardedly optimistic.

Besides its central location, KSDK thrives on anchor longevity. Mike Bush has been with the station, known as 5 On Your Side, since 1985. He anchors at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Kay Quinn, anchor at noon and 4 p.m., joined in 1989. Chief meteorologist Scott Connell started there in 1991.

Art Holliday joined in 1979 and was a sports anchor and morning anchor, then became news director in 2021.

KSDK has been on the air for 77 years, Elsner said. “The level of engagement with our audience is stronger than ever,” she added.

Krueger enjoys managing the market’s only duopoly. Speaking of anchor longevity, Mandy Murphey, who anchors at 5, 9 and 10 p.m., joined KTVI, known as Fox 2, as a reporter in 1991. She’s solo at 9 p.m. and teams with Shirley Washington at 10.

The stations air lifestyle show Studio STL. KPLR offers weekday local news at 4 and 7 p.m.

“I talk to the news department all the time, and it’s content, content, content,” shared Krueger of the stations’ philosophy. “Content is king.”

Sports Mad

St. Louis is, by all accounts, a sports town. The market lost its NFL team, the Rams, after the 2015 season. It’s unlikely St. Louis will get another NFL franchise anytime soon, but at least it has a team, the Battlehawks, in the new United Football League.

“It’s a big football town, and there’s huge love of the Battlehawks,” said Krueger.

For those who still want to see an NFL game, the Kansas City Chiefs are about four hours away, and the Chicago Bears closer to five.

“Fans here are rabid about their local sports,” said Sosnoff.

KSDK is psyched for the Summer Olympics, which starts July 26 in Paris. Anchor Rene Knott will make the trip for the station. Dawn Harper-Nelson, a former Olympic hurdler, is a Games correspondent for KSDK.

“It’s our Super Bowl,” Elsner said. “We love the Olympics in St. Louis — there’s nothing like it.”

The market hugs the border of Missouri and Illinois with the Mississippi River serving as that border. The local economy is so-so. Crime has pushed some residents out of St. Louis a — boon for the suburbs but a loss for the city. Major corporations with local roots include Bayer, Rawlings Sporting Goods, Anheuser-Busch and Nestlé Purina Pet Care, the former Ralston Purina.

The general managers speak of big-city amenities and a small-town feel in St. Louis. One described its quality of life as “underrated.”

“People that grow up here either stay here or return,” Sosnoff said. “It’s a really comfortable place to live.”

Midwestern cities are known for their friendly residents, but the GMs said the vibe in St. Louis is friendlier still. “You walk down the street in St. Louis, and people say hi,” said Krueger. “They just do. It’s just that kind of town.”