New Year’s Day of 1983 will always be etched in Randy Shaver’s memory. As a young sports reporter, it was his first day on the job at WTCN-TV (now KARE 11) in Minneapolis.
“It was nerve-racking for sure,” recalls Shaver (’81). “I was on TV my very first day and honestly never stopped.”
In June, the Iowa State alum and Cedar Rapids native signed off for the final time after 41 years on the air.
“I have anchored some show — sports or news — from that day until now,” Shaver says.
His work has been recognized with regional Emmy Awards, as well as a regional and national Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting.
Shaver had the opportunity to cover professional teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, and Timberwolves, but it’s the “Prep Sports Extra” program he started in 1984 — showcasing high school football in the Twin Cities — that he is most proud of in his career.
“I would call every high school football coach in the metro in the summertime and talk to them,” Shaver says. “I have such great relationships with the football coaches in Minnesota, and I’ll miss that a lot.”
During his career, viewers followed along Shaver’s journey as he became a two-time cancer survivor. Through chemotherapy and radiation treatment, he stayed on TV the entire time. Shaver and his wife, Roseann, have helped raise more than $12 million for cancer research and patient aid in Minnesota through the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund.
“We’ve been able to make a difference funding projects and funding researchers who are doing amazing work, and that won’t go away when I retire,”
Shaver says. “That has been a big part of who we are and what we do here.” Shaver credits his journalism professor, Dennis Hart, for changing the direction of his life.
“He helped me discover that I wanted to be in broadcasting,” Shaver says. “I can’t even believe the career that I’ve had. But it’s all because of my experience at Iowa State.”