Tom Overlie to sign off from KTTC news broadcasts at the end of March

Rebecca Mitchell, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·3 min read

Mar. 5—ROCHESTER — After 24 years on the air at KTTC-TV, Tom Overlie is signing off to spend more time with his family.

"It's been an incredible 24 years anchoring and reporting the nightly news here at KTTC," Overlie shared on air on Monday. "At the end of this month, I'll be stepping back from my duties here and turning my attention to my family, in particular, my mother ... and this break will also allow me to focus on some other creative endeavors that have been close to my heart."

Overlie will anchor his last broadcast before his break on Thursday, March 28, 2024. He's led the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news broadcasts since joining KTTC in 2000. He's co-anchored with Caitlin Alexander for the past eight years. Brock Bergey, who joined KTTC in 2023, will co-anchor the newscasts with Alexander following Overlie's departure.

Over his years with "incredible people" who have become his family, Overlie has loved sharing community stories as well as interviewing presidents and hosting the

annual Eagles Cancer Telethon.

"KTTC has been my home for 24 years. My colleagues have been my extended family," Overlie said. "It's a place I feel I've grown as a journalist and as a news anchor, and I often think about how fortunate I've been to share the stories of people here in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa."

While thanking the team at KTTC and the viewers, Overlie said he is also looking forward to a break from the rhythms of the nightly news. He fell in love with journalism through his parents' local newspapers and a magazine, which they published for over three decades, according to his bio on the KTTC website.

With the time ahead to focus on his family, Overlie said his mother has been facing "serious medical issues."

"So many of us have to go through this as our parents age and there are some illnesses and you just feel like time is precious. And so that's where I am right now. I want to be a little bit more intentional on my time with loved ones and to help my dad, support my dad as my mom is going through some of these medical issues," Overlie said. "Time is limited and time with your loved ones can be limited as well."

Overlie has worked in the news industry for 33 years, including in Mankato, Minnesota, and Minot, North Dakota. He has won eight Emmy Awards for best newscast and has earned honors from the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, Minnesota Associated Press, Northwest Broadcast News-Eric Sevareid Award, and the North Dakota Broadcasters Association, according to his bio.

His departure from the nightly news is "farewell for now," Overlie said. He plans to still work with area nonprofits and partner with KTTC on special projects.

"The work that this guy puts in day in, day out. He means so much to area nonprofits, serving on boards. We like to joke but he really is Mr. Rochester. He's everywhere telling these stories that matter for so many years and through so many historic events," Alexander said. "It's been really honestly the privilege of a lifetime to sit next to you and learn from you."