Jack Harry to take helm at KSHB sports; Former KCTV voice will be new lead anchor

KSHB, Channel 41, news director Debbie Bush on Wednesday named veteran broadcaster Jack Harry the station's sports director and lead sportscaster. Harry, who spent 27 years at KCTV, Channel 5, will appear on the NBC 41 news at 6 and 10 p.m., as well as the 9 p.m. newscast produced for sister station KMCI, Channel 38. The change will take effect upon the departure of current sports anchor Todd Romero. The station declined to renew his contract, which runs out in February. "(Harry's) a great commentator, he loves sports and he 'gets' Kansas City," Bush said. "That's what's got me so excited." The promotion caps a remarkable 17-month career revival for Harry. Now in his 36th year as a professional broadcaster, the native of Pittsfield, Ill., arguably has never been in greater demand. "I feel very flattered by this," said Harry, who arrived in Kansas City in 1970 to work for WDAF-AM and -TV. He joined Channel 5 in 1974 after a year out of the business. He worked at KCTV until June 2001, when he accepted a buyout deal from the station's owner, Meredith Corp. One month later, Harry was hired by sports talker WHB-AM (810). Earlier this year, he began appearing on KSHB. Harry will continue working part time for both stations. He will anchor the Chiefs post-game show and other specialty programs for WHB. Chad Boeger, general manager of WHB, said there would be natural opportunities for the two stations to promote each other by sharing Harry's talents. "I think it's just great for Jack," Boeger said. "He's been very good for us." Returning to TV has been a sweet and totally unexpected reward for Harry, a no-nonsense journalist who spent most of his career at Channel 5 playing second fiddle. He has not been a lead anchor since 1981, after Don Fortune came to KCTV from KMBC, Channel 9. In recent years, Harry worked as an anchor-reporter. He enjoyed a close working relationship with many area coaches, especially former Missouri head basketball coach Norm Stewart. His retirement last year struck a sentimental chord in many local observers, who thought they were witnessing the end of an era. Sports on television, they said, had become all razzmatazz and attitude. There was no longer room for straight-ahead sportscasters like Harry. A similar chorus was heard this week, following the death of ABC Sports pioneer Roone Arledge. Commentator Allen Barra, writing in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, lamented that Arledge's flashy brand of TV sports had led to the demise of old-school talent, people who "were throwbacks to an earlier style that resisted the broadcaster-as-star trend." People like Jack Harry. "He should get respect," Bush said. "This guy's been in the market 30 years. Let him do his job. "I've told him, 'I don't want you to do it the way everybody else is doing it. You have to do something different.' And he can do it. He's not married to X's and O's and last night's scores." All parties agreed that this has been an awkward transition, since Romero brought Harry on board at KSHB. Romero called up his colleague on the day Harry announced he was leaving Channel 5. "I told him I'd get him some work," Romero said. After Harry's non-compete clause with KCTV expired earlier this year, Romero brought him in as a substitute anchor. Harry became a part-time employee, contributing four to five times a month. The two men spoke on Tuesday, after KSHB broke the news to Romero, and later reaffirmed their high regard for each other. "He was very good to me and I will never forget it," Harry said. Romero said, "I love Jack Harry. He's helped me out. I think he's a great guy, and I wish him the best." Station officials gave Romero three months' notice but did not plan to make an announcement immediately, hoping that he would find employment before his contract expired. Instead, Romero sent out an e-mail to colleagues last month telling them he would be leaving the station. This fueled speculation about his replacement, with Harry's name leading the list. On Wednesday, Harry wanted it known that he would have been happy working only in radio. "It was not my intent to seek this position," he said. Rather, it was Bush who sought him out. Harry made it clear that he wanted to stay with WHB. Furthermore, he had no hankering to return to the grueling 14-hour days put in by full-time sportscasters. "I'm not afraid of work," he said, "but I don't want to run around doing sound bites all day." Harry feels that viewers have become conditioned to seek out scores and highlights on all-sports cable channels or the Internet. "At 10:25 p.m., why are viewers going to stay up and watch us?" Harry asked. "We need to do something different to survive." To that end, Harry will continue to offer his opinion and analysis, as he does on the radio and had been doing on Channel 41's Sunday night newscasts. To handle the other chores, KSHB is hiring a full-time sports producer to coordinate satellite feeds, edit video, write copy and cover breaking news during the day. The producer also will be expected to appear on-camera, offering some relief to the station's other sportscaster, Lisa Holbrook, whose contract was recently renewed. Harry understands the other reason he's being promoted: He's a familiar face viewers recognize. That's why Bush recently scooped up Brian Webb from KCTV, Channel 5, and added him to KSHB's morning news. With KSHB's newscasts in third place at 10 p.m. and even lower-rated the rest of the day, the station can use all the star power it can get. "People at (Channels) 4, 5 and 9 didn't used to have a lot respect for 41," Harry said. "But I've told people these guys are really good. One day this is going to click. I think they're going to be a player. I really do." To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com @ART CAPTION:Jack Harry (circa 1980) has covered sports locally since 1970. @ART CREDIT:KCTV @ART CAPTION:Jack Harry @ART:Photos (2, color and b/w)