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Ken Rice

Ken Rice
Ken Rice KDKA-TV

A national award-winning journalist, Ken Rice has co-anchored the weeknight editions of KDKA News at 5 since 1995 and KDKA News at 11 since 1999.

In addition, Ken shares hosting duties on the station's Sunday morning public affairs program The KD/PG Sunday Edition, and has moderated debates among candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S House, Governor of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County Executive and Mayor of Pittsburgh. For its first 11 seasons, Ken also hosted KDKA's high school quiz program, Hometown HiQ.

Before joining KDKA, Ken spent six years reporting and anchoring for WTAE-TV, launching its 5 p.m. newscast alongside Sally Wiggin in 1992.

A native of Chicago, Ken began his career in journalism while attending the University of Wisconsin in Madison — reporting and anchoring news on the statewide Wisconsin Public Radio network. Ken then moved into television, reporting for Madison's WISC-TV, and eventually anchoring its evening newscasts.

Ken's reporting assignments have taken him from the eye of Hurricane Hugo to the White House, and from the inspection of hanging chads in the disputed presidential election in Florida to Super Bowls XXX in Phoenix and XL in Detroit. In 1994, when US Air Flight 427 crashed on approach to Pittsburgh, Ken's reports from the scene were carried nationwide by the CBS network and across Canada on the CBC. He is one of the few local journalists ever to report live on the "CBS Evening News" — in the tense hours following a shooting spree in Pittsburgh's suburbs in 2000.

Over the years, Ken has anchored KDKA's live coverage of many, major breaking stories, notably the Quecreek mine rescue in 2002; the protests at the G-20 Summit and the police shootings in Stanton Heights in 2009; multiple Stanley Cup and Super Bowl championship parades; and the tragedy at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018.

Ken has been honored with local, state and national journalism awards, including a national first place Associated Press award for an investigation called Harrisburg Paydirt, which exposed Pennsylvania legislators' lucrative, taxpayer-funded perks. Other honors include Golden Quill awards from the Pittsburgh Press Club and awards from the Radio-Television News Directors Association for investigative reporting.

Active in the community, Ken developed and taught a TV news reporting course at Point Park University and is frequently called upon to speak at local schools and community organizations. He has served on the board of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society and has long served as Honorary Chair of Pittsburgh's annual MS Walk. Ken has also chaired the advisory board of the volunteer service organization Pittsburgh Cares, and serves on the advisory board of the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council. He is a past board member of the Southwestern PA chapter of The American Red Cross, and has worked on charitable endeavors with many organizations including Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In 2007, the Food Bank honored Ken's contributions with its Hunger Awareness Day Award.

Ken's favorite recurring assignment comes every October at Pittsburgh's Byham Theater: serving as emcee and delivering a monologue at the annual production of Off the Record, a musical that features local journalists and actors lampooning the city's movers and shakers, all to benefit local charitable causes.

Ken is a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife, Lauren, have two children.


VITALS

  • Joined KDKA: 1994
  • Hometown: Chicago
  • Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin

FAVORITES

  • Music: Dad Rock: Steely Dan, Springsteen, The Who, etc.
  • Movie: All of the Jason Bournes
  • TV Show: "Modern Family"
  • Book: The entire David McCullough collection. "The Johnstown Flood" is stunning.
  • Hobbies: Traveling, kayaking, hiking
  • Sports Team: Pirates
  • Food: Preferably circular: pizza, pancakes, bagels, doughnuts, pizza
  • Local Restaurant: Mineo's
  • Hidden PA Gem: David Johnson ;)
  • Sport/Exercise: Running, biking
  • Favorite Pennsylvanian: David McCullough
  • Quote: "No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire." – L. Frank Baum
  • Word: Nebby
  • Vacation Spot: Lake. Woods. A kayak. And loons.
  • Holiday: Billie
  • Planet:of the Apes

THIS OR THAT

  • Facebook or Twitter? Twitter
  • Cats or Dogs? Dogs
  • Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles
  • Comedy or Tearjerker? Comedy
  • Phone Call or Text Message? Text
  • Mac or PC? Mac
  • Coffee or Tea? Coffee
  • Paper or Plastic? Paper
  • Morning Person or Night Person? Night
  • East Coast or West Coast? East Coast
  • Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Bucks

Get to know more about KDKA's Ken Rice with his answers to these 22 questions:

22 Questions With KDKA's Ken Rice 06:15
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