GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — After more than four decades on the air at KARE 11, anchor Randy Shaver will be retiring in June 2024, Shaver and the station announced Thursday.
“I started working sports in Minnesota January 1, 1983 and really didn’t stop, with a front-row seat to so many incredible sports moments. How lucky am I? It was an honor to transition to news on the anchor desk in 2012, sitting next to Julie every night, and working to inform our viewers about significant news events,’ Randy said.
When Randy started at KARE 11, the station was still known as WTCN-TV. He rose through the ranks of the sports department, first as weekend sports anchor, and later as sports director starting in 1994. He was promoted to main anchor alongside Julie Nelson in 2012.
Randy is well known across the Twin Cities and Minnesota for his passion for high school sports. His Prep Sports Extra program celebrated its 40th season last fall; the show has been a model for similar high school football shows across the country. Randy also recently re-released his complete All-Metro football team collection on the KARE 11 YouTube channel, dating back to its inception in 1987.
“Randy has impacted Minnesota in so many positive ways. His devotion to prep sports is unequaled, honoring high school athletes for 40 years. He’s done incredible work as both a sports and news anchor, and he’s inspired countless people as a two-time cancer survivor. We look forward to celebrating his remarkable career,” said KARE 11 News Director Stacey Nogy.
An Iowa native and graduate of Iowa State University, Randy was honored as an athlete in 2020 in the Cedar Rapids Jefferson Hall of Fame (Iowa) in both football and track.
During his career, KARE 11 viewers followed Randy as he became a two-time cancer survivor. He now hosts the annual The Rush Creek Golf Club Randy Shaver Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund. The event has helped raise more than $12 million for cancer research and patient aid in Minnesota since 1995.
Randy’s work has been recognized with regional Emmy awards, as well as a regional and national Edward R. Murrow award for sports reporting in 2006. He was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2021.
“Randy’s successful career has provided a tremendous connection to a generation of viewers who’ve depended on him for sports coverage and news anchoring during some of the biggest events in Twin Cities history,” said Doug Wieder, president and general manager of KARE 11.
Randy's final newscast will be Friday, June 28.
“It’s been a privilege. I was here before KARE was KARE and I leave knowing this place will continue the excellence so many started years ago,” Randy said. “Thank you to all of the viewers for 41 incredible years.”
