KRDO earns surprise of the day

KRDO/Channel 13 gave viewers an early Christmas surprise Wednesday morning, as longtime local news anchor Eric Singer unexpectedly showed up to anchor the station’s “Good Morning Colorado.”

Although he was just filling in for KRDO’s Zach Thaxton, expect to see more of Singer on KRDO in the days ahead.“I’m very excited to be a part of this,” Singer said. “It feels wonderful to be at a station where I’m very much appreciated. It was nice to find a home again.”

Singer was an anchor with KKTV/Channel 11 for 17 years, until the station dropped its anchor team of Singer, Melissa Brown and meteorologist Mike Madson in November, 2005. KKTV later replaced them with anchors Don Ward and Shannon Brinias and meteorologist Brian Bledsoe.

Singer has worked in real estate since leaving KKTV and staged an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate. He hasn’t given up his real estate business, but KRDO news director Dave Rose hinted that he’ll be a regular presence on KRDO.

“Down the road, as we add additional newscasts, we suspect that he may be involved in one or more of those,” Rose said. “We’re just happy to have someone with his experience and roots in the market working for us.”

Since KRDO was sold to the News-Press & Gazette company in June, the station has added a 6 p.m. newscast and switched its 5:30 p.m news to 5 p.m. The obvious spot to add another newscast is midday, where KKTV and KOAA/Channels 5&30 have newscasts but KRDO doesn’t.

Singer’s former co-worker Madson said he was thrilled to hear he was back on the air.“As a co-worker of his, I found him to be totally dedicated to getting the story right,” Madson said. “Eric is a pro.”

Madson now does the weather on Friday nights for KOAA in addition to teaching at Pikes Peak Community College and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Brown recently remarried and now lives in Fort Collins.“We’re all happy,” Madson said. “I’m sure Eric would tell you the same thing. We’re all doing what we want to be doing.”

If seeing Singer behind the anchor desk Wednesday morning was a surprise, be sure to tune in this morning . Rose says he’ll have Singer on the city’s snowy streets reporting on road conditions.

“He actually volunteered” for the chilly duty, Rose said. “I said, ‘It speaks highly of your commitment. It doesn’t speak well of your judgement.’”