KLEW moves newscasts to Boise
Jun. 20—The production of KLEW newscasts shifted from Lewiston to KBOI in Boise on Monday in what an executive overseeing the CBS affiliate described as a "strategic move" that will "add resources to our newscast."
The change will allow "us to tap into a larger production staff and a state-of-the-art studio," David Praga, vice president and general manager of KLEW, KIMA in Yakima and Tri-Cities and KEPR in Pasco said in an email.
Praga's email and the Monday broadcast follow a June 1 on-air announcement that the news program was going to change its format. During the last two weeks, a team from KEPR delivered the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley news for KLEW.
That update happened the day after the departure of Anna Velasquez, news director and anchor, and the final day on the air of Keith Havens, KLEW's weather forecaster. Havens' last day with KLEW was June 9.
No positions are being eliminated in Lewiston, where reporters will be added to provide more content, Praga said.
The changes will give KLEW an increased presence in Idaho's capital, making the station "better equipped to provide more comprehensive coverage of the issues shaping the region, including political developments and community initiatives," he said.
"... Our commitment to local reporting remains steadfast," Praga said. "Our existing team of reporters will remain on the ground in Lewiston, providing comprehensive coverage of the Lewis & Clark Valley."
The Monday KLEW broadcast included a mix of local, regional and national stories such as reports on a fatal motorcycle accident in Asotin County and the continued closure of Bert Lipps swimming pool in Lewiston.
Angela Kerndl, a multimedia journalist at KBOI, a CBS station, anchored the KLEW broadcast Monday. She was joined by Roland Steadham, chief meteorologist for KBOI 2 News, doing the weather forecast.
KLEW and KBOI are part of Sinclair Broadcast Group, a company that owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 77 markets after pending transactions, according to their websites.
Kerdnl is a journalist who recently moved to Boise after starting her career in Yakima. Originally from the Chicago area, she graduated from the University of Illinois in 2019 where she reported for a local National Public Radio member station and studied in Mexico City and Hong Kong.
"She's passionate about telling impactful stories and giving a voice to the voiceless," according to the website. "Her favorite stories to report on are agriculture, labor issues and housing availability."
Steadham has been a meteorologist for 35 years, spending about half of his career forecasting in South Florida and the other half in the West, mostly in Utah, according to KBOI's website.
The son of a Cuban immigrant, he attended Brigham Young University and the University of Utah and finished his education through the Mississippi State meteorology program.
He has been awarded seals of approval from the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, according to KBOI's website.
Steadham speaks fluent Spanish and is a commercially licensed pilot and "avid" skydiver, according to the website.
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
