Smooth Sailing
Celebrating two years at the helm of The 10 O'Clock News, anchors Lars Larson and Kim Singer take a nautical break aboard his sailboat.

Captain Lars Larson sounds like a character lifted from a Viking saga, or at least a Jack London novel.

"Lars Larson, Nordic raider," jokes the man in command as he maneuvers his white sailboat next to OMSI's submarine USS Blueback on the Willamette.

The riverside stop, within camera shot of KPTV's new building, is a fun break for the news team of Larson and Kim Singer.  But the boat is more than recreation for Larson, it's also his residence.

A Pair of Jokers: Andy Carson & Tony Martinez
When KPTV's weather guy and traffic guy get together, expect 100 percent chance of laughter. These guys just want to have fun.

if you're airing three hours of live TV each weekday, you need a power source. Human transformers Andy Carson and Tony Martinez crackle with energy while most of the city is reaching for the snooze button.

Meeting both of them at once is like shaking hands with a 220-volt joy buzzer.

"Three hours, that's a long time," says Carson who starts his mornings early on Oregon's News 12 at 6. "People will barely watch a three-hour movie.'

Family Matters
Good Day Oregon and Ken Ackerman prepare for a new day without Laura Stephenson

Note the strategically placed flowers on the set, and you might guess why Good Day Oregon is seeking a co-host. The bouquets screen Laura Stephenson's expanding waistline, a sure sign of her expanding family. On May 20 she will sign off to prepare for the July birth of her third child.

Whoever replaces her won't be a temporary fill-in, but a full co-host alongside Ken Ackerman. It's a big change: The minivan mom and the SUV single guy have been Good Day Oregon's starting lineup since the show debuted in August, 1996.

"I'm gone for good," Stephenson says, having pondered and put aside the idea of a maternity leave. "I've already had my tears about it. 

TV Host
May 5, 1999

Seeking New Horizons
Kurt Ludlow brings a different style of investigative reporting to Oregon's News 12

Atop Powell Butte Nature Park in Southeast Portland, Kurt Ludlow surveys the sweep of snowcapped peaks from Mt. St. Helens to Mt. Jefferson. "I had no idea this was here," he says appreciatively. "I'm going to come back and explore."

Ludlow sees fresh vistas everywhere since joining KPTV in April as anchor for The 10 O'Clock News after a dozen years at WBNS in the flatlands of Columbus, Ohio.