Andy Fales came to KMBC-TV9 in June of this year a sports anchor to eventually take over the top sports job when icon Len Dawson retires. However, that is no longer the case as Fales, 36, announced he will be leaving KMBC to return to Des Moines for personal reasons. Shortly before Fales was hired the station canned long-time weekend sports guy Bill Pikus (below). Fales will stay on through the end of the year.
Andy Fales out at KMBC.
Summary: A changing of the guard at KMBC-TV9 started this weekend as veteran Bill Pikus did his final broadcast Friday night (6/8). He announced it was his final report on the station and later waved goodbye to viewers at the end of the broadcast. Newcomer Andy Fales, 36, will assume duties as weekend sports anchor on June 11. Reportedly the station did not renew Pikus' contract. 06-08-2007
Bill Pikus is considered one of the nicest guys in Kansas City broadcasting circles. He grew up in Overland Park and attended Bishop Miege High School. Pikus joined KMBC-TV9 in September 2001 after serving as sports director at WSBT-TV in South Bend, Indiana, covering Notre Dame. He began his TV career in Laredo, TX and then moved to KOAM in Pittsburg, KS. From there he moved to WGBA, the NBC affiliate in Green Bay/Appleton, WI. where covered the Green Bay Packers for two seasons. He is a graduate of Creighton University in Omaha with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications.
From Kansas City Star columnist Jeffrey Flanagan (5/29):
A new player? Incoming Channel 9 sports anchor Andy Fales, who will start at the station in mid-June, could wind up being a player on the local radio scene as well. Fales, who just finished up at WHO TV-13 in Des Moines, actually got his start in sports talk radio in Wisconsin and later was co-host of a very popular Sunday night talk show on WHO. �It was the top-rated sports talk show, radio or TV, in Iowa,� Fales said. Fales, 36, said he wouldn�t be opposed to doing some radio in Kansas City to accompany his sports anchor post at Channel 9. �It would all be with the blessing of KMBC, of course,� Fales said. �But I have always had an interest in that side of the business. I know sports talk is very popular in Kansas City. I listen to the webcasts of WHB. �But I need to get settled in with my new job before I start doing anything else.� Fales said working with Len Dawson at Channel 9 will be nothing short of a dream. �You think when you�ve been in this business long enough you can�t be awed by anything,� Fales said. �Then when I interviewed for the (Channel 9) job, I met Len Dawson, and I was basically speechless. I didn�t know what to say to him.�
Published May 2, 2007 What's bugging Keith? Andy's leaving WHO By BRYCE MILLER Des Moines Register Television sports anchor Andy Fales is leaving Des Moines' WHO TV-13 to accept a weekend sports anchor job at ABC station KMBC in Kansas City. Fales, 36, will make his final appearance on the May 27 "SoundOff" - the Sunday night sports show he helped popularize with creator and co-host Keith Murphy. "We're going to miss him a lot," said Murphy, sports director at WHO. "And I know the viewers are going to miss him a lot. We're going to miss his humor, we're going to miss his intelligence and - most of all - we're going to miss his opinions. "He made people think. It's been good for sports discussion in Iowa to have someone not shy about telling you exactly what he thought. Andy raised the bar for everyone in that way." Fales said his contract and the contracts of many others at Channel 13 ran out during the time parent company New York Times sold stations such as WHO, creating a chance to consider offers. "It had to be the perfect job for me to leave," Fales said. "KMBC's the No. 1 station in the market, has a lot of stability." One of "SoundOff's" most popular segments - "What's Bugging Andy?" - featured Fales' random rants on everything from sports to life in Iowa. "Andy used to work behind the scenes on Sundays," Murphy said. "We'd sit around the office and all day long he'd give these insightful observations on what irritated him. We started giving him a couple minutes each Sunday to turn loose on whatever was under his skin. It was a big hit right away - and it's all a tribute to Andy." Fales, a Drake graduate from St. Louis, came to WHO in 2000 and co-hosted "SoundOff" for about four years, Murphy said. He will begin work with KMBC anchor Len Dawson, the 71-year-old Hall of Fame quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs. "It might not be long before Andy is the main guy there," Murphy said. Fales said leaving Murphy made the decision difficult. "I wish I could work with him the rest of my life," he said. "He's been my mentor and he's a visionary in the industry." Fales said Iowa sports fans are just as plugged in and energized as those in markets with top-level professional teams. "Just because a place has professional teams doesn't mean it's necessarily a better place to cover sports," he said. "I think sports fans in Iowa are every bit as passionate as fans in pro-sports markets." Murphy said "SoundOff" will continue, though he's unsure who will fill the co-host chair next. "We haven't decided what we're going to do," he said. "We won't hire Randy and force 'What's Bugging Randy?' on everyone. We won't pretend to do the exact same show with Andy gone - just as we went a little different direction when we went from Round Guy to Andy. "Andy and I were like Sam and Diane on 'Cheers.' He was like Diane. Shelley Long is leaving, so I have to go find Kirstie Alley."
