It’s hard to miss Dan Drayer. The anchor voice on Colorado Public Radio’s “Colorado Matters” is gone but not missing.
The smooth-voiced Drayer left CPR in May, but re-runs of his interviews continue to air.
That’s about to change. Beginning next Monday, Ryan Warner slides behind the mike at KCFR 1340-AM as Drayer’s replacement. He comes to Denver from WGCU in Fort Myers, Fla., where he hosted a news magazine, a public-affairs program and a live call-in show. Drayer, who’s gone off to Washington, D.C., wishes him well. “I hear he’s very good.”
Drayer sailed off to D.C. – without a job – to seek his fortune. In the main, it’s worked out, although trudging through the 4 a.m. shift gets a little difficult. “I didn’t have a job in hand,” he recalls. “As I’m driving into D.C. my supervisor called and said, ‘Can you come in next week?”‘
Could he?!! Drayer started as a part-time employee in June and first anchored the news on the hour and half-hour on July 22. He’s also bouncing around as an editor and director.
The anchoring gig is a bit odd, he says. “Having gone from a show that’s 59 minutes long to telling the world what’s going on in three minutes is quite a change.”
He’s a big-deal Eastern newscaster now but his heart is still attached to Colorado. “I absolutely miss it. I go to the 9News website every day and look at cameras showing parts of Colorado. I can see the mountains and the weather.”
CPR’s Sean Nethery says that “Colorado Matters” will remain somewhat the same but “the goal is to make it deeper and better with themes that carry through.” The station is expanding its staff from four to 12 to do more in-house production, and there will be fewer repeats.
“Colorado Matters” airs on KCFR at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The new shows are expected to begin in November.
Around the dial
No truth to the rumor, says KCNC-Channel 4 news director Tim Wieland, that the station is dumping its investigative team of Brian Maass and Rick Salinger. Just changing producers, says Wieland … Fans of the new series “E-Ring” were surprised to find the KUSA-Channel 9 show moved from 8 to 7 p.m. last Wednesday. NBC moved it to get it out from under the hugely popular “Lost.” Don’t get too attached; “E-Ring” may not be around long … If you think there are a lot of car ads on your TV, you’re right. Car makers spent $5.3 billion on TV advertising in the first half of 2005, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus … A crew from The Weather Channel’s “Road Crew” in town Tuesday-Thursday, catching us doing what we do – hiking, hang gliding and mountain biking … Quotable: “There’s always someone listening.” – Dan Drayer
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
