'The luckiest guy on earth': After 34 years at KCCI, anchor Steve Karlin signs off

Courtney Crowder and Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register
·2 min read
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KCCI nightly news anchor Steve Karlin is surround by family, friends, and coworkers after his last new report after 34 years at the station in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
KCCI nightly news anchor Steve Karlin is surround by family, friends, and coworkers after his last new report after 34 years at the station in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

From stories of small-town cafes and loveable local eccentrics to interviews at the White House and live reports from the State Fair, KCCI-TV anchor Steve Karlin has been a stalwart in central Iowans’ living rooms for more than three decades.

But as Wednesday’s 6 p.m. newscast wrapped up, Karlin thanked viewers for watching one final time.

“I've been struggling to come up with the perfect thing to say at this particular moment, and I've determined perfect is impossible,” he said, surrounded by friends, family and colleagues. “So I'm just going to adhere to an old journalistic axiom, the KISS method: Keep it Simple, Stupid, or, in this case, Keep it Simple, Steve.”

“And it is very simple: You can't do something you love forever — no matter how much you love it.

“I've been in the right place at the right time a lot my life,” he said, his voice catching in his throat. “I am just so happy that the right place was KCCI-TV and the right time lasted for 34 years.”

Karlin, an Iowa City native who studied at Iowa State, started as the station’s weekend weather anchor and reporter in 1989. For 14 years, he traveled across the state for “Karlin Covers Central Iowa,” his award-winning features segment where he filmed slices of Iowa life, telling stories from main streets and gravel roads.

“I reported from places many people never get to go to, where I met people not everybody gets to meet,” Karlin said. “I've also witnessed history in the making. And…I got paid for it. Unbelievable.”

During the broadcast, a cavalcade of former co-workers and reporting icons shared memories and wished Karlin well, including "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell, who encouraged him to “enjoy the extra time on the golf course.”

“You’re going to want to call in story ideas. You might want to back off on that a little bit,” said former anchor Mollie Cooney. “You may have dreams that you have to do the news and you have to get ready, but no more makeup. Don’t have to worry about ties anymore. Enjoy it.”

After a career that kept him close to home, but sent him from far flung places for important, emotional reports, Karlin ended his long career as the station’s main anchor, helming KCCI 8 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Karlin's final assignment was especially meaningful, he said, because it put him in the same spot “as some of Iowa TV news’ biggest legends" and allowed him to deliver the news “every night in my home state for you, the great people of Iowa.”

“I'm the luckiest guy on earth,” he said.

And as the camera pulled out for the last time, he added: “Life just doesn’t get any better than this.”

Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist at The Des Moines Register. Reach her at ccrowder@dmreg.com.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Steve Karlin retires after 34 years at KCCI-TV