The Evolution of Local Television News
DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz
Tom Overlie is a former nightly news anchor, producer, and reporter, as well as an Emmy Award winner. Drawing on 35 years in local television news, he offers firsthand insight into the major changes that have transformed the industry. In this speaking engagement, Tom explores how local news has evolved over the decades and what its future may look like.
Mr Overlie has been a Rochester, MN native for over two decades. He was born in Minneapolis and grew up in southern North Dakota, and also spent time in Nigeria, Western Africa. He has anchored and reported news for KEYC-TV in Mankato and KMOT-TV in Minot, North Dakota. He was the primary KTTC-TV 6 pm and 10 pm co-anchor in Rochester beginning in May 2000 until his retirement in 2024. He is the recipient of nine Emmy Awards for best newscast (Upper Midwest Chapter) and has received honors from the Minnesota Broadcaster’s Association, Minnesota Associated Press, Northwest Broadcast News-Eric Sevareid Award, and the North Dakota Broadcasters Association.
Some of Mr Overlie's favorite memories during his tenure as a newcaster include a one-on-one interview with a sitting president, parachuting from an airplane at 16,000 feet while broadcasting live, and hosting the longest running, locally produced telethon in the nation, raising millions of dollars for cancer research.
Since his retirement from KTTC-TV he has turned his attention to spending time with his parents, pursuing his hobby of music and singing, spending more time writing (he is creating a series of young-adult books), and working on restoring his Civil War-era farmhouse and barn outside Rochester. The barn currently functions as a site for community concerts, weddings and fundraisers.
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