KY3 anchorman signs off

Tony Beason, KY3 news anchor for 27 years, announced May 4 that he’s leaving the station. May 27 is his last day on air.

Beason said the move is not a retirement; he hopes to continue working. He declined to give details, except to say that his new project would be in broadcasting, possibly in a different medium, and he hoped to stay in the area.

“After a while you reach a point where chronology starts catching up with you, and you tell yourself if you’re going to try some of these things, you can’t wait forever,” he said.

“About a year and a half ago I made the decision to go ahead and leave here and pursue those other opportunities. It’s kind of like walking off the end of a plank into the ocean and seeing how deep it is.”

Beason was broadcasting the 6 and 10 p.m. news, until KY3 management recently assigned him to only the 6 p.m. show. Jerry Jacob moved into the 10 p.m. slot.

Beason has had an impact on the station and the community, according to his co-workers.

“Tony’s contributions are immeasurable,” said Mike Scott, KY3 general manager. “When you look at a career spanning 27 years, and his ability to lead our station, it’s pretty significant. I don’t think many people realize how unusual that is.”

KY3 News Director Jeff Benscoter said that, out of respect for Beason, he didn’t want to discuss specific details about how Beason’s departure will affect the anchor lineup.

“I don’t look at it like, ‘One person’s leaving. What should we do?’” Benscoter said. “It’s about the sum of all the parts, and all the parts are extremely important. Right now, the focus is on Tony.”

Beason said staying in Springfield long-term was not part of his original plan when he graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in history and geography.

“When I came here 27 years ago, I honestly was thinking in terms of maybe a couple of years,” he said.

“What kept me here was, this has always been a top-flight organization. It felt like we were doing what we should be in terms of pursuing quality. And I love the Ozarks. That offered a lot of incentive to stick around,” he said.

Beason is one of several broadcasters with lengthy careers at NBC affiliate KY3.

Sports Director Ned Reynolds has the longest running KY3 career at 38 years, followed by morning show host Steve Grant’s 31 years.

Next is evening anchor Lisa Rose and sportscaster Joe Hickman, each with 21 years at KY3. Jacob has worked there 10 years.

That consistency has led to big victories for KY3 in the Nielsen ratings.

During February sweeps, the station scored a nearly two-to-one advantage over nearest competitor KOLR-10 in the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. time slots.

Scott said staff longevity is a product of the community.

“The biggest reason is the attraction to the area and the people, not just at the station but in the town,” he said. “As a part of this community, you become entrenched here. This is their community, and that’s how they see it.”

Scott also credits stability in ownership. KY3 is owned by Schurz Communications Inc. of South Bend, Ind.

Schurz also owns newspapers, radio and television stations in eight other states.

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