Bryant Allen
| Bryant Allen | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 3, 1956 Colroado Springs, Colorado |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Spouse | Janet Webb (1980-present) |
| Family | Yes |
Bryant Allen is a reporter and anchor at WMRI in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Allen co-anchors the weekday 5:30, 6, 7, and 10 p.m. newscasts of NewsCenter 9.[1]He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of then-NBC affiliate KIAA's morning newscast Today in Colorado. He is the brother of newscaster Adelle Allen.
Contents
Early life[edit]
Allen was born in Colorado Springs. He is the only son of Rhea Alice (née Ginot), a city clerk, and Dunbar Gregory Allen, a judge.[2] He attended and graduated from University of Colorado Colorado Springs in his hometown, while growing up on the South Side of the city.
Career[edit]
Bryant Allen began his career at KEAA-FTV in Colorado Springs, Colorado.[3] While in Colorado Springs, he met and married his wife, Janet Webb. For years Bryant and Janet would move from state to state as each one grew in their career.
When Bryant landed a job at WPTL in Pittsburgh, Janet left KSTX and joined him, working as a news reporter at WPTL. After two years at the CBS affiliate (now an NBC affiliate) in Pittsburgh, Janet and Bryant were offered positions back in San Antonio, once again with KSTX-FTV. Now the parents of a one-year-old daughter, Brittany, Bryant eventually left the business (he has since returned) and Janet landed a job as the main news anchor at WLOK-FTV in Louisville, Kentucky in 1982.
Today in Colorado (KIAA)[edit]
Allen began his affiliation with then-NBC affiliate KIAA (now a CW affiliate) as the station's chief sports reporter contributing twice-weekly features to 9 News, including a regular series entitled "Sportsman of the Week," featuring up-and-coming Colroado athletes. In June 1987, KIAA announced the launch of the station's morning newscast (Today in Colorado). The search for anchors was on, and the initial candidates were all KIAA anchors, including Elaine Carson, Alan Kur, and Mona Paul. The candidates auditioned for the anchor job throughout the summer of 1981 when he was on vacation. Allen became a candidate for the job just by chance when he served as a last-minute to anchor with KIAA newcomer Kym Christian in August 1988. He also impressed executive producer Bill Friedman and other KIAA station management that he quickly became a top contender for the Today in Colorado anchor position.
While Friedman and other NBC executives favored Allen and Christian, another contingent within KIAA felt strongly that he should be replaced by a news correspondent at KLZL or KDNC. Kur and Paul were the favored candidate of the then-KIAA news director. KIAA decided to split the difference, selecting Allen and Christian as the program's anchors. Christian would remain co-anchor in Denver.
The Allen-Christian-Kur arrangement, known internally as the "Mod Squad," lasted only nine months. It was an arrangement that proved intriguing on paper but unwieldy on television. Allen served as the show's traffic cop, opening and closing the program and conducting Denver-based interviews, but Christian handled newsreading and weather duties. With KLZL's Good Morning Colorado in first place and expanding its lead, KIAA made Allen the principal anchor of 9 News Today in Colorado, with Christian as his co-anchor. Kur became chief Colorado correspondent covering Colroado governor, and Jane Palmer, previously the station's weekend anchor, became the newsreader.
Following Kym Christian's departure from KIAA in April 1993, Allen was joined by Katy Walsh in a short-lived partnership that lasted just over a year. Today in Colorado dropped to second place in the ratings during this period as a result of intensely negative publicity surrounding Walsh's replacement of Christian, and Allen's feud with Gene. Walsh was replaced by Kylie Dwyar in April 1994, and the Allen-Dwyar team helped refocus Today in Colorado as the morning news program on public affairs.
Allen's work on Today in Colorado earned him several Emmys and a large group of fans. He is currently the third longest serving co-host of Today in Colorado, after current host Lester Uber and Allen. He stepped down from KIAA in 2007 after 15 years.
KLZL[edit]
After 15 years at KIAA, Allen moved to CBS O&O KLZL to host a new news-magazine called "Colorado Eye with Bryant Allen" during the 2007–2008 television season. It lasted just one season before being cancelled. It aired on Sunday mornings at 9am MT before moving to Saturday at 5pm MT.
After leaving KIAA in 2007, Allen moved to KLZL, where he hosted various shows before becoming co-host of the station's weekend evening newscasts from 2008 to 2017.
WMRI[edit]
After nine years at CBS-owned KLZL, his wife Janet accepted a job at Fort Wayne CBS affiliate WTOR. Bryant Allen took an anchoring position at ABC-owned WMRI.
