Roger Ogden isn’t ready to retire. He may have to anyway.
Ogden, who took not one but two Denver television stations to the top of the local ratings heap then moved on to become a national network guru, gets what’s coming to him next month when he is anointed Broadcaster of the Year by Broadcasting & Cable magazine.
“On the one hand, it’s nice,” said Ogden, 67, president and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting. “I grew up with Broadcasting as my bible. I always would read it cover to cover. I held it in high esteem until now.” He was joking.
Ogden, who took both KCNC-Channel 4 and KUSA-Channel 9 to the top of the local ratings, isn’t ready to retire, although such awards are usually an invitation to scoot out the door.
But he’s not in it for the long term either. Based in Washington, D.C., since 2005, he frequently flies to Denver for the weekend.
“When this (job) is over, I’ll be back there,” he said Monday, from his office in D.C. How long? “At least another year, I suspect. It could be a year and a half or two years. I haven’t made any firm plans.”
Meantime, he’s putting his considerable managerial skills to the new age of television. “We’re putting most of our attention on the Internet and broadband capability. It’s exciting. You’ve got a platform for breaking news and weather. Balancing the old and the new is not an easy process.”
Three of Gannett’s stations report directly to Ogden, who still has an office at Channel 9. He started in TV here in 1967. Look for him to be back here full-time one day. “It’s our home.”
Ogden picks up his prize in ceremonies April 12 in New York City.
Whither Marcia?
Her fans are lining up to support Channel 4 prep-sports specialist Marcia Neville.
An e-mail campaign (I got several) worries that Channel 4, which cut the long-time prep reporter to part-time status in September, won’t get her contract renewed.
“Her contract doesn’t come up until July,” said Tim Wieland, the station’s news director. “Nothing has been decided. Obviously, we’re going to have to make a decision soon.”
Around the dial
“Destination Wild” and host Courtney Hansen land in Vail and Copper Mountain for ski fun (7 tonight, FSN Rocky Mountain) … What do Joe Paterno and Anna Kournikova have in common? For one, they’re featured on “Missing Link,” ESPN Classic’s look at the global village (8 p.m. Wednesday) … Quotable: “Everything is for the eye these days. Nothing is just for the mind. The next generation will have eyeballs as big as cantaloupes and no brain at all.” Fred Allen.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
