Secrets of the City

Even Jason DeRusha was impressed by this one. And why wouldn’t he be? WCCO purchased space on a digital billboard and is using it to promote the Good Question each day. Anybody seen it yet?

“I’m glad my 1st billboarded story wasn’t: why do we have snot. Or: what happens after we flush?” tweets DeRusha.

(via WCCO)

Longtime WCCO-TV reporter Darcy Pohland died overnight. She was 48 years old.

Pohland was discovered by a personal care attendant Friday morning at her home in Minneapolis. She had apparently died in her sleep. Her cause of death has not yet been determined.

Pohland has been a news reporter at WCCO-TV for the last two decades.

WCCO asks, “are Minnesotans sick of winter?” Yeah, no shit we are. Aren’t we sick of winter every year, about two or three weeks into it?

“We’re tired of it but I’ve been living here for 24 years, so it’s as to be expected,” said Laura Mlynarek throwing snow from the sidewalk.

“I’m done with winter. It could end pretty soon,” said Bruce Nelson as he shoveled his driveway.

“I am getting a little sick of it. Minnesota’s getting old this winter,” said Gregory Wacker while running his snow blower.

Yeah, no shit. But… we know what to expect, right? Why so much complaining? Is this winter really any worse than the rest? Don’t we say that every year?

And don’t we have real news to report? Cripes!

Flip on that radio today, between 1 and 3pm, when that snow is falling, and turn to WCCO-AM 830, as Don Shelby saunters down the home stretch of his nine-year hosting gig with WCCO Radio. Shelby, who began his 32-year career with WCCO on the weekend anchor desk with Pat Miles, will be ceding the radio mic on Friday.

“Growing up in the small town of Royerton, Ind., just outside of Muncie, Shelby, 62, says he never thought he’d meet a congressman, let alone ‘put them on the hot seat and ask them tough questions.’ Last year, he even interviewed President Barack Obama the day before he won the election.”

You know how we always ask what we ever did before Google? Well, according to Paul Douglas, we’d just ask Shelby. The man is a well of information.

How do we feel about his departure? And who will replace him? WCCO hasn’t announced his successor, but there’s certainly no reason we can’t speculate here.  Back in October, when WCCO put an ad out for Shelby’s replacement, the media tossed around a few names — Chad Hartman, John Hines, Mischke. What names are getting tossed about now?

David Brauer points out a site called TCMedia Now (and points out that it’s got Mark Rosen in bell bottoms.) Also: Dave Moore’s final broadcast. So what is the site? From their home page: TCMedia Now is Twin Cities broadcasting media history and memories transmitted digitally now. News, commercials, local entertainment from WCCO, KSTP, KARE, KMSP and more can be relived instantly.

Chuck gives us an old video of WCCO’s Pat Miles looking into the Minneapolis hardcore punk rock scene; features footage of the long-lost local hardcore band Willful Neglect.

Stuff About Mpls publishes an awesome ode to WCCO weatherman Bud Kraehling: All I heard last night, and for most of the past week, was Thunderstorms are A-Comin! Nothing has happened. I’m not some big thunderstorm advocate, but you guys today (I’m talking to you Sven, and that skinny guy at Fox 9) seem to be wrong all the time now. If this continues, I swear to God I will use it in my power with this tumblr to pull Bud Kraehling out of retirement.

That is, if you can believe Mark Rosen: Barring some unforeseen major physical setback, Brett Favre will be at training camp in Mankato when they open up the end of July, a source has told WCCO’s Mark Rosen.

WCCO legend Steve Cannon has died at age 81. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the local broadcasting great, the Pavek Museum’s Broadcasting Hall of Fame page for Cannon has a good biograpy of him, as well as audio samples of his work. With Cannon’s death, a whole cast of characters he created and gave voice to passes on as well; all will be missed.

Jason DeRusha now has a Webcam pointed at his desk all the time. I don’t know why.