Famous Mormons In the Media Page Two

Famous Mormon Radio & Television Announcers, Broadcast News Analysts, Reporters and Correspondents

Ken Jennings
Contestant: Jeopardy

Ken's Total Winnings $2,520,700 Biggest winner in game show history

To mark the start of its 20th season in September 2003, Jeopardy lifted its five-game limit for winners and allowed them to keep going until they lose. Jennings is a Seattle native who grew up in South Korea. He was a member of the BYU College Bowl team in the 1990s. He served a mission in Spain. He currently he works as a software engineer in Salt Lake City. He was described in the press as a teetotaler. The press have also reported that 10% of his earnings will be donated to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Fame, $1M fortune for 'Jeopardy!' champion by Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, 7/14/2004

Luke Johnson

The Luke Johnson Phone Experiment was started by 27 year-old Arizona resident Luke Johnson. On September 18, 2006, Luke posted a self-made video on YouTube inviting the world to call him on his cell phone. The stated purpose of the experiment is to see how many people will call someone they have never met.

Since the inception of the experiment, Luke has received calls from around the planet. As of February 16, 2007 he has 100,000 telephone calls. Owing to the popularity of his experiment, Luke has been featured on CNN, NPR, The Rachael Ray Show, the Art Fennell show, several local news channels, as well as a number of national and international newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. from wikipedia.org

NPR's coverage of the Experiment

Call him at 602-435-3694. Tell him you heard about him on Famous Mormons !

Tracy Kennick

Tracy Kennick is a news anchor in Southeast Texas on KBMT Channel 12 News She went on to graduate from Brigham Young University as an honors student with a major in broadcast communication and a minor in political science. She then worked for KSL Television in Salt Lake City, Utah before moving to Texas.www.kbmt12.com

Sarah Lane

Reporter

LEX 18 News General Assignment Reporter Lexington, Ky

Sarah Lane's Kentucky roots run deep, as a fourth generation farmer with family ties throughout the Bluegrass State. Kentucky's nutrient-rich soil proved an important part of her childhood -and you'll find she isn't the least bit afraid of rolling her sleeves up and getting her hands dirty. The farm still proves an essential part of her character today - enriched through family values, hard work and healthy helpings of faith.

Biography on LEX 18

Deseret News

Joe Lee

Joe Lee, a legendary Utah radio news anchor for more than 40 years, retired in 1987. With a near perfect deep voice and articulation, he worked for KDYL, KNAK, KCPX and KBUG. He also did many radio and TV commercials In retirement, Lee kept busy recording voice-overs, even in the weeks preceding his death.

He also did the Brigham Young University Cougars' first-ever basketball broadcast in 1948. (KSL didn't take BYU broadcasts until the early 1950s.)

Joe was an active Mormon throughout his life.

Jon Peter Lewis
Contestant: American Idol, Season 3 (2004)

He served a full-time mission in Spain. He was a finalist contestant on American Idol, Season 3 (2004). He was voted off on 15 Apr 2004, making him one of the top nine finalists.

Download new singles and samples at
Jon Peter Lewis.com
"Turn to Grey," "What's Wrong" and "Stories From Hollywood"

Photo: WHAM

Bob Lonsberry
Talk Radio Host

He is a talk radio host at WHAM 1180 in Rochester New York and 570 KNRS in Salt Lake City Utah. Two different shows! "A newsman for 20 years, he has won in excess of 80 journalism and broadcasting awards, including top Associated Press commentary awards in newspaper, radio and television -- the only person ever to do so. He has been a newspaper reporter, columnist, photojournalist and editor, as well as a magazine writer and commentator on radio and television and a television reporter and manager. He is the author of The Early Years, a collection of newspaper columns.
Source: WHAM

KNRS 570 Salt Lake City

WHAM 1180 Rochester New York

Listen to Bob live on the net from KNRS 5:00-10:00 AM and 4:00 - 5:00 PM MST

He is a great defender of the faith, see examples here: Of DNA, Protests and Religious Faith and How About Tolerance for All?

univision 19

Santiago Lucero
Journalist

Reportero de Noticias Univision 19

Santiago Lucero es reportero de noticias, de Univision 19, originario de San Luis, Argentina, tiene alrededor de una década dedicada en el periodismo, es egresado de la Universidad Brigham Young, Provo, Utah en la carrera de comunicación.

He is a graduate of BYU and worked in Salt Lake City at the Univision affiliate for two years He is now working at the network in Sacramento California

In July 2006 Santiago won an Emmy, and in October he was awarded the RTNDA (The Radio-Television News Directors Association) award.

In July 2006 Santiago won an Emmy

Mike Madson
chief meteorologist

He received his Bachelors degree in meteorology, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Utah. In 1987, he accepted an offer to establish an in-house meteorological department at 11 News (southern Colorado), and has remained chief meteorologist since. Mike has been awarded the AMS Seal in both radio and television, as well as weather certification from the National Weather Association. He has served as both Vice President and President of the Pikes Peak chapter of the American Meteorology Society, and as Chair of the Board of Broadcast Meteorology for the national organization.
Source:

AJ Maguire
radio announcer

AJ Maguire is a radio announcer in Portland, Oregon on 99.5 The Wolf on the air from 7p-12am.You can listen online at www.thewolfonline.com

AJ's family joined the church in 1991. He met his wife Kristy on an LDS dating web-site and they were married in the Salt Lake City temple in 2004. His career has stretched from KSYN Joplin, MO/ KSPW Springfield,MO/ KPLX Dallas,TX/ KEGA Salt Lake City, UT/ KWJJ Portland, OR.

Steven R. Mitton

Steve is a veteran of the radio biz since 1979. Steve served a mission for the LDS Church from 1976~1978 in Tokyo, Japan and lived in Japan until 1986, where he hosted a syndicated radio show called "Pop on the rock" and worked as a consultant to Japanese companies. RadioActive with Steve Mitton is a daily Radio Talk Show broadcast from Burley, Idaho and transmitted to several radio stations across the United States.

stevemitton.blogspot.com

www.johnmoyer.com

John Moyer

Comedy

Since 1994 John has performed at comedy clubs and colleges throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to his headlining appearances, John’s been the opening act for such comedians as Louie Anderson, Pauly Shore, Lewis Black, and The Chappelle Show’s own Charlie Murphy. John has also performed at a myriad of corporate events for companies and organizations like America Online, Jet Blue, Marriot Hotels, Intermountain Health Care, and the United States Air Force. Along the way he took first place in the Salt Lake City, UT round of the Anheuser- Busch Comedy Competition.Expanding on his stand up comedy, in the summer of 2000 John wrote a script called The Singles Ward based on his own life experiences as a stand up comic and a single member of the LDS church.

www.johnmoyer.com

Reality TV World

Shawn Nelson
Winner! Rebel Billionaire

He is founder and CEO of LoveSac in Salt Lake City, Utah. On the show, he had to travel around the world with other contestants and re-enact crazy stunts that Richard Branson, the Rebel Billionaire, has performed in his life-time. As the winner, Nelson received $1 million and a three-month position as the President of Virgin Worldwide. After three months he will either return to LoveSac and build it into a global brand or serve as president of one of Virgin's many ventures.
Sources: About Salt Lake City.com and Press Release, 11 Jan 2005

Sterling S. Poulson

Senior Meteorologist

When he is not working at 2News, Sterling is involved as Music Director and Founder of The Choral Arts Society of Utah, conducting as many as six concerts each year with the 100 voice choir. He is Chairman of the Days of '47 Pops Concert and a member of the Days of '47 board of directors. He also serves as Vice Chair on the Clark Planetarium Board of Directors. In his spare time, he is active in the community, speaking to organizations and schools about the television industry, weather and music.

Art Rascon
Reporter

Emmy award winning Reporter and Anchor Art Rascon joined KTRK-TV's 13 Eyewitness News [Houston, Texas] in September 1998 to serve as co-anchor of the five o'clock news.

Dan Rascon

Reporter

Dan joined KUTV 2 News in October of 1999 as Utah County Bureau Chief…He reports dayside for the noon, 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts.
Prior to joining KUTV he was the manager of media relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A Colorado native, Dan graduated from Brigham Young University in Broadcast Journalism in 1991. He has since worked as a reporter in San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles and Denver.

Carmen Rasmusen
Contestant: American Idol, Season 2 (2003)

She was the wild card vote-in for the second season of American Idol. She was voted off on 23 Apr 2003, making her one of the top six. Carmen is starring in a remake of Pride and Prejudice.

Pedro Rojas

News Reporter

Pedro Rojas has been a part of the KXLN Channel 45 team in Houston since December of 2004, working as a news reporter and weekend news anchor.

Pedro was born in Mérida, Venezuela. He graduated in September of 2000 from the University of Los Andes, the second largest university in Venezuela, with a major in Social Communication and a minor in Humanity Development.

Pedro’s vast journalism experience includes working as a news reporter at La Nación, the largest newspaper in the city of San Cristóbal, and then he worked as a news reporter for TAM (Televisora Andina de Mérida) a local T.V. station in his hometown. Following that he worked as a news correspondent for TELEVEN, a national television network in Venezuela.

Pedro came to the United States in May of 2001 and began working as a news reporter for a local Spanish-language television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, KSVN Channel 66. He also hosted a radio show during that time in the Spanish programming at KWCR-FM 88.1 in Ogden, Utah.

Pedro later became the executive producer and news anchor at Independent News Network in Davenport, Iowa where he was responsible for the broadcasting of newscasts for several Univision affiliates in cities such as Salt Lake City, Utah, Amarillo, Texas, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

Pedro Rojas, ha sido parte del equipo de KXLN canal 45 en Houston, desde Diciembre del 2004, trabajando como reportero y presentador de noticias de los fines de semana. Pedro nació en Mérida, Venezuela y se graduó en la Universidad de Los Andes en Septiembre del 2000, considerada la segunda universidad más grande de Venezuela. Allí obtuvo su licenciatura en Comunicación Social con una mención en Desarrollo Humanístico.

La vasta experiencia periodística de Pedro incluye, trabajar como reportero para el periódico (La Nación) en la ciudad de San Cristóbal luego como reportero para una estación de televisión local en su ciudad natal TAM (Televisora Andina de Mérida) y posteriormente trabajar corresponsal de noticias para TELEVEN, un canal nacional de Venezuela.
Cuando Pedro llego a los Estados Unidos, en Mayo del 2001 trabajo como reportero para una estación de televisión local hispana en Salt Lake City, Utah, KSVN Canal 66 y también condujo un programa de radio en la programación española de KWCR-FM 88.1 en Ogden,Utah. Un poco después se convirtió en Productor Ejecutivo y Presentador de Noticias de Independent News Network en Davenport, Iowa, donde fue responsable en la realización de noticieros para estaciones afiliadas de Univision en Salt Lake City, Utah, Amarillo, Texas y Little Rock, Arkansas..

Photo: Standard Examiner

Mark Saal
Columnist

Mark Saal Columnist for The Standard Examiner in Northern Utah. His weekly column "Life as the Top" is very popular in northern Utah. He has a great sense of humor especially when it comes to Mormon humor.

Benji Schwimmer
Heidi Groskreutz www.usaswingnet.com

Benji Schwimmer

Heidi Groskreutz

Dancer

The winner of the 2006 season of So You Think You Can Dance was announced on August, 2006. The winner Benji Schwimmer, after 16 million votes were collected for the season finale.

He appeared on So You Think You Can Dance" He said on the air he served a 2 year mission, during which his girlfriend "dear-johned" him. On "So you Can Dance" there was someone in the audience who had a sign made like the insignia on the "CTR ring" that read "CTB" with Choose the Benji written underneath.

He served a mission in Oaxaca, Mexico

Schwimmer isn't the only Mormon on the show. Contestant Heidi Groskreutz is his cousin and the two of them arranged to go to a singles ward near the Los Angeles LDS Temple following Sunday morning and afternoon show rehearsals.
And Allison Holker and Jaymz Tuaileva (who was eliminated July 6, 2006) were raised in Orem and went to a homecoming dance together at Timpanogos High School. Salt Lake Tribune

Heidi Groskreutz, is from Cliffside Park, NewJersey , and raised in Newport Beach, Californis . As of 2006, she is a six-time U.S.A. Open Swing Dance champion.

Heidi Groskreutz with her cousin Benji Schwimmer, she became a top 20 finalist in the second season of So You Think You Can Dance .

Video of Benji Schwimmer & Heidi Groskreutz's First Place West Coast Swing performance in the Showcase Division at the 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships

Benji's Baaaack! USA Swingnet

Swing Dance Showcase Division Champions
Benji Schwimmer & Heidi Groskreutz including Video

Heidi Groskreutz

From Wikipedia

www.buddytv.com

Lacey Schwimmer

Lacey-Mae Schwimmer appears as a top 20 finalist on the third season of the Fox reality television series So You Think You Can Dance. Born on June 28, 1988, she is also the cousin of David Schwimmer, a well-known cast member of the Emmy Award-winning TV sitcom Friends. Her nicknames are Birdie, Sissyduckling, Macy Gray, and Lace-Face. Lacey was raised by a family of competitive dancers, and is the younger sister of So You Think You Can Dance second season champion Benji Schwimmer, as well as the daughter of West Coast Swing dancer Buddy Schwimmer.

Lacey Schwimmer's Official Fanspace

Vai Sikahema

Vai Sikahema, is the sports director/anchor for NBC 10 News at 4, 5, 6 and 11pm, joined WCAU in Philadelphia, April 1994. Previously, he was the station’s sports reporter and weekend sports anchor. His accomplished career in the NFL, as well as his strong and solid background in television, made him an easy choice to be part of NBC 10’s sports department. Additionally, Sikahema is the weeknight sports director/anchor for myphl17 News at ten powered by NBC 10.

Sikahema is also the host of “Wednesday’s Child,” a segment sponsored by the National Adoption Center, Freddie Mac Foundation and NBC 10 to promote the adoption of children.

Known by many for his in-depth sports reports, Sikahema has also covered both the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and the prestigious horse races that featured locally owned and favored to win Smarty Jones and Barbaro.Sikahema retired from the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994. He joined the team in 1992 after completing the '91 season with the Green Bay Packers. Ranked first among the NFL's all-time career leaders in number of punt returns and second in punt return yardage, Sikahema is also a two-time All-Pro.

In 1986, while playing for the Phoenix Cardinals, he began his television career at KSAZ-TV. For the next four years, Sikahema reported and often shared the anchor desk. In 1991, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, and as his success on the field continued, he carved a niche for himself as a sports reporter for WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Sikahema is a native of Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, and at age seven, his family moved to Hawaii. He played college football (kick return specialist) for Brigham Young University, where he earned his degree in Communications. He resides in New Jersey with his wife and their four children. He is a former Bishop and currently serves on the stake high counsel. NBC10.com

Richie is on the left Photo from Atropos

Richard T Steadman "Richie T."

Fresh Faced Famous Mormon Radio Producer

Richard Steadman is the "fresh-faced Mormon producer" on the highly rated The Radio From Hell show on X96 in Salt Lake City. He is not a host, but does appear sporadically on the show with anecdotes of his own. He began as an intern on the show, and graduated to paid employee. Richie is a graduate of, Southern Utah University and was a DJ on the college station there. He also participated in the SUU show choir. some info from wikipedia.org

Listen to Radio From Hell on X96 weekday mornings
5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mountain time

Radio from Hell

Jill Stevens

Miss Utah

"America's Choice" semi-finalist in the Miss America pageant

Jill Stevens (born about 1985) is Miss Utah 2007. She was chosen as Miss Southern Utah University and Miss Davis County. She was a combat medic in the Utah Army National Guard and served as a medic in Afghanistan in 2004 – 2005.

In November 2003, Jill was deployed to Afghanistan, returning home in April 2005.Miss Utah 2007 and competed for Miss America in January 2008. On January 26, 2008, Sgt Stevens was named the "America's Choice" semi-finalist in the Miss America pageant.

Julie Stoffer
Cast Member: Real World, New Orleans

She appeared on MTV's The Real World: New Orleans in 2000. Her religion became central to the plot, and she found herself disabusing her roommates of some "pretty whacked" ideas about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The question of whether Mormons can drink Coke was broached, as were mythical prohibitions against dating and dancing. In 2003 and 2004, she was invited back by MTV to appear in two installments of Road Rules
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune Updated 26 Dec 2004, thanks to JD for his email

Julie Stoffer is married and lives in Wisconsin where her husband goes to medical school.

Julie and the Real World

Stoffer, Parents Criticize BYU Following Suspension by Kent Larsen, Mormon News, 31 Jul 2000z

Keith Stubbs

Radio, Comic

Stubbs was recently named Best Comedian by The City Weekly and Funniest Comedian by The Standard-Examiner newspapers and was also a semi-finalist in Comedy Central's 2003 Laugh Riots comedy competition.

The Morning Eagle 101.5
Weekday Mornings
5am - 10am

Photo: CBS

Kelly Wiglesworth
Contestant: Survivor Borneo (Season 1, 2000)

She was a resident of Las Vegas before appearing on the show. To prepare for the challenge, she diligently practiced Tae Bo to get in shape. She also maintained a strict diet of fruits and vegetables to acclimate to the island fare. But she wasn't prepared for the cast members' sleazy tactics and back-stabbing in an effort to win the $1 million prize. She won five immunity challenges, and no one ever voted against her. In the final episode, she lost to Richard in a vote of three to four.
Source: Contestant a true 'survivor' by Kimberley McGee, Las Vegas Sun, 23 Aug 2000

Ghost Hunters: Grant Wilson (left) and Jason Hawes

Grant Wilson

Co-founder of TAPS, and star on the TV show, Ghost Hunters

Grant Steven Wilson is the co-founder (with Jason Hawes) of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), based in Warwick, Rhode Island, and co-star and co-producer of the Sci-Fi Channel's Ghost Hunters. He and his wife, Reanna, have three young children, all boys. He is also a writer and illustrator of fantasy characters and role-plating game characters. He has been working on his unfinished Legendaruim since the age of 12 and now says that his finished series of books will number to twenty five 800-page volumes. Though his stories began with invented languages, he says he was not inspired by Tolkien. However, he is a big fan of Tolkien at this point. He is popular in the world of paranormal studies and frequently visits colleges to lecture on the topic of parpsychology. He is also popular for being the warm member, or the "heart," of TAPS.

www.scifi.com/ghosthunters

Zac Wood

Magician

13 yr old Zac Wood has appeared on Australia's Got Talent doing magic with his sister Crystal. He is a Deacon in the Claremont Meadows Ward (Sydney).

KSL.com

Doug Wright

Radio

Don't miss his Movie show program on Fridays !

He entered the Utah radio market in 1968, at age 16, when he began at KUER. He then spent almost a year at KDYL in Tooele before moving to KRSP, then to KCPX-AM and Ch. 4. He arrived at KSL in 1978. From The Deseret News

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