Mr. Gary Kerr, Omaha Broadcasting Legend

b/w glossy of Mr. Gary Kerr which he autographed for me a couple years ago

Mr. Gary Kerr Omaha Broadcasting Legend
Photo from the Omaha Press Club lobby of former WOWT anchors Byron Wood & Mr. Kerr with Mr. Walter Cronkite.

For 34 years, viewers in Nebraska & Iowa watched Mr. Gary Kerr broadcast the news on Omaha, Nebraska station WOWT. Like many viewers, I grew up watching Mr. Kerr. I can recall many a Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house in Crescent, Iowa and watching Mr. Kerr and weathercaster Dale Munson. I knew it was time to get to bed when radar showed a "blip" getting close to the Omaha area. I became an employee of WOWT in July 1992. I remember on one of my first days seeing Mr. Kerr walk past the room I was in. "Wow," I thought, "there's Gary Kerr. And he's got legs...he can walk!" (This because I always remembered him reading from the anchor desk) Working in television news as a director, there are always requests from reporters for graphics to be created for their stories. I always seemed to put a little more zip into the graphics I did for Mr. Kerr, afterall, this was the guy I grew up watching on TV hanging out in the control room with me. After creating some maps for a particular story and showing them to him, Mr. Kerr gave me a hearty slap on the back and said "those look good." Getting the nod of approval from Mr. Kerr made my day. There were many sad days in 1998 when Mr. Kerr was removed from the anchor desk, and consequently his retirement from an extraordinary career in broadcasting. Through it all, Mr. Kerr kept things positive and remained the consummate professional, something viewers could always sense from watching him night after night over the years. Thanks Mr. Kerr for the many years of service you gave to the community and for the friendship you gave to your fellow co-workers. You were always (and continue to be) a true professional...one of the best in the business. Below are different items featuring Mr. Kerr on this website:New Horizons Article: Retired Newsman Reviews Career, Looks Ahead - 4/00 Face On The Omaha Press Club Barroom Floor - 1/27/00 UNO Lifetime Achievement Award - 5/7/99 Retirement Reception Photos - 2/20/99 Omaha World-Herald Article: Kerr Won't Sing The Blues - 1/3/99 Mr. Gary Kerr's Farewell Message On WOWT - 12/31/98 Omaha World-Herald Article: Kerr Resigns At WOWT - 12/19/98

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