Rick Kupchella, one of the most veteran TV personalities in the Twin Cities, announced Tuesday that he will leave KARE-TV, Channel 11, after more than 20 years to pursue opportunities in multi-platform journalism.
Kupchella, 45, a weekend anchor and investigative reporter, said he had hoped to stay at the station, but that contract negotiations unraveled, and he would have had to take a pay cut.
"My only disappointment is that we couldn't even come to a part-time sort of a deal," he said.
General manager John Remes praised Kupchella's work and said that several conversations led to the conclusion that the parting was "best for all of us."
RECENT AWARD-WINNER: Kupchella, who recently won an Edward R. Murrow Award for a piece on the University of Minnesota's Children's Hospital, said money wasn't the sole issue.
"Local news is a shrinking island," he said.
HIS PLANS: Kupchella will be investing his time in documentaries with a focus on health care and some sort of online operation that emphasizes local news.
Kupchella's reach stretches beyond the KARE studio. In his last contract he negotiated the right to sell and distribute programming on his own -- a rarity in the world of broadcast news -- so he's been able to explore the multi-platform world. In addition, he's written two children's books and is working on creating a third with blues legend B.B. King.
