KSTP's Tom Hauser Loses Morning Gig

January 8, 2008, 11:37 AM

By Brian Lambert

One of the long-simmering dramas of local media over the past few months has been, "What is KSTP doing to Tom Hauser?" Please note the "to" as opposed to "with."

Hauser, the station's yeoman-like government reporter, "At Issue" host, and facile celebrity emcee of countless community functions has been doing double (or is it triple?) duty anchoring channel 5's morning "news" show. He wanted the job permanently—maybe as a stepping stone up to a real anchoring gig, I don't know. (Hauser has declined to talk for months now.)

So yesterday, after roughly a year of "covering" for the station, Rob Hubbard, the TV boss at KSTP, called to say that he had decided to hire back Art Barron, who had been with KSTP until getting the boot in the mid-nineties. (Hauser, I'm told, has been, uh, discouraged by watching Barron and another former KSTP-er, Dean Staley, traipse through for auditions.) Hauser, said Hubbard, was returning to full-time government reporting work. By coincidence, I had been talking with both Rob and Stanley Hubbard earlier yesterday, and both, Stanley in particular, made a point of declaring Hauser, "the best political reporter in town." (This is where Pat Kessler cranks up the PR machine. Although, according to The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, Eric Black is our local gold standard.)

As I said, Hauser stopped returning calls last summer. The word I got was that he was feeling pressure after "leaks" appeared in the local press on the topics of the station's treatment of then news director, Chris Berg, and weatherman Dave Dahl. (Both Hubbards say Dahl, who had been rumored to be on verge of being marginalized, has been given a new contract.)

Frankly, the two questions that I never quite got answered here were these:

1. Why would any high-profile reporter want that morning drive gig?

2. Why, if Hauser wants the damn job that much, do you not give it to him? If there's a more loyal employee, I don't know who it is, and by all indications, the ratings have been good (the show even won a regional Emmy last fall).

If and when I get more illumination on this, I'll pass it on.

Rob Hubbard says Barron will start sometime in February, he hopes.

Comments

This is really too bad. Hauser and Sawkar are great together behind the desk. They are by far the best morning anchors in town--they both read well, strike the right tone for each story, are well-informed, have strong connections to the community and are actually outstanding reporters. Can't say that for the other stations' morning anchors.

LAMBERT: I know at least one other local station who professes inrerest in Hauser. If he wants to move, he'll have suitors.

Posted by: Lola Franks on January 8, 2008 at 12:51 PM

Next up on the Hubbard "Winning Thru Nostalgia" Tour, Bob Bruce visits on Januaryv 16 & 17.

Let's see...Cindy Brucatto-check...revived "Good Company" - check...Art Barron-check...

Paging Mr. Turner...Mr. Stan Turner...

LAMBERT: Wait until they hire back Bob Regalbuto. Now THAt will draw a crowd.

Posted by: Jed Leyland on January 8, 2008 at 2:22 PM

Maybe he should try sending out video birthday greetings to viewers. Now THAT'S broadcast journalism.

LAMBERT: Or maybe a cooking segment.

Posted by: Frank Magid on January 8, 2008 at 8:17 PM

Dude...Regalbuto? That's cold. Wait'll I see you in...well, never mind when. Better start hitting the novenas...hard.

LAMBERT: Come on . You know Bob would like another shot.

Posted by: St. Peter on January 8, 2008 at 8:30 PM

Is Bob Bruce really coming back? I would be all for Stan Turner coming back to Channel 5. (Last saw him on Public Access square dance show).

Maybe bring Rod Grams back as a weekend anchor!

LAMBERT: And your thoughts on Mel Jass?

Posted by: Namzso (Tom O) on January 9, 2008 at 1:01 PM

"Another SHOT"?! Good gawd, man. And I thought consultants had no shame.

LAMBERT: They're in the business of promising the client ANYTHING.

Posted by: Frank Magid on January 9, 2008 at 3:01 PM

If Hillary can come back, can Randall Carlisle be far behind ? Maybe intro him in the shower with Ruth Spencer claiming the last 108 rating books were all a dream.

To catch up with the randy man:

community.abc4.com/blogs/randall_carlisles_blog/default.asp

LAMBERT: I'm told that "commenters" can't attach live links. But obviously everyone who wants to see Randall Carlisle, my idea of the embodiment of "generic anchor talent", alive and kicking -- and perhaps still wondering what goes through fishes' minds as they fall to earth -- can cut and paste to his Utah station.

Posted by: Jed Leyland on January 9, 2008 at 3:42 PM

Maybe not Mel Jass, but if Dahl ever does decide to move on we could bring Bud Kraehling back for some guest appearences.
..Dr. Michael Breen?
Neal Murray anyone?

Posted by: Tom Oszman on January 9, 2008 at 10:09 PM

Brian:
I remember Barron in the 90's because he replaced me on the morning anchor desk (with Wendy Lubovich) after Bob Bruce left. I'm now at The Golf Channel with former KSTP'er Inga Hammond. Neither of us could believe that Barron was coming back and we got a good chuckle out of that one. Ruth Spencer was the best anchor the station ever had and Mendes ran her out of town. We miss the old days.

Dave Taylor

LAMBERT: Was that Mendes or Magid that drove Ruth out of town? At the time, I was hanging around 5's newsroom. It was a damn good soap opera.

Posted by: Dave Taylor on January 10, 2008 at 9:06 PM

Speaking of The Golf Channel, what's all this about "lynching" Tiger woods?

Shades of Don Imus!

LAMBERT: Do you have a position on this, Bertram?

Posted by: bertram jr on January 16, 2008 at 11:10 AM