STrib: Mark Rosen announces his departure from WCCO-TV after 50-year career

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per STrib:

Mark Rosen, one of the most enduring and endearing personalities in Minnesota broadcast history, announced Monday that he’s retiring from the WCCO, Channel 4, sports desk next year.

“It’s been spectacular,” Rosen told the TV audience near the top of the 10 p.m. broadcast. Anchor Amelia Santaniello said her longtime colleague had earned his place on the “Mount Rushmore of WCCO.”

Rosen, 66, plans to sign off in April following coverage of college basketball’s Final Four tournament in Minneapolis. That would be 50 years to the month since he first walked into the CBS affiliate as a high school student eager to learn the craft.

His exit could come sooner, however. Much depends on the health of his wife, Denise, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July.

Rosen, already the longest-tenured TV sports personality in any major U.S. market, took August off to help in her recovery from surgery, and realized that spending time with her in the evenings was more important than chasing athletes or reading scores. Even things as seemingly routine as enjoying Amy Poehler’s reality-competition series “Making It” felt precious.

“We’d be watching these shows together on the couch on a Tuesday night and I’d think, ‘Is this what it’s like? Is this what normal people do?’ ” Rosen said Friday during an interview at Brit’s Pub, across the street from the TV station. “It just felt right. Home is where my energies need to be right now. I mean, I’ve never been home at night in my whole adult life.”

He doesn’t plan to be a full-time retiree, however. He hopes to expand his role at sports-radio station KFAN, where he has been a frequent contributor for many years, but he would be off the air by 3 p.m., leaving his evenings free.

http://www.startribune.com/mark-ros...-from-wcco-tv-after-50-year-career/494868611/

Go Gophers!!
 

50 years! I grew up watching Rosen sports segments and then again when I moved back to the Cities in the 2000s. What a career, starting at 16.
 

Congrats Rosie! The Twin Cities market has been pretty spoiled in the sports department with Rosen, Shaver, Schmidt, Fritz, etc..
 

We're losing one of the good ones in the Minnesota market....
 

We are going to miss him. He had much fuller hair when I came to town, and Sid Hartman was full of pep.
 


Sid outlasts another one.

Congrats Rosie.
 

He will be missed. A positive and level headed guy and definitely always gave the Gophers a fair shake.
 

He wants to expand his role on the Power Trip Morning Show!
 

STrib: Mark Rosen leaving WCCO-TV in January, earlier than expected

Sports anchor Mark Rosen accelerated Tuesday his plans to retire from WCCO-TV after roughly 50 years on the air.

“I am moving that date up to Jan. 10,” Rosen told WCCO viewers. “There are no words to express the appreciation for the outpouring of support my family has received during this difficult time.”

Rosen’s wife, Denise, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July.

Rosen first shared the news of his retirement earlier this fall, but had planned to stay at the station through the Final Four basketball championships in April.

In an interview with the Star Tribune, Rosen said he was still trying to absorb “the whole thing.”

“As our old friend Kirby Puckett said, ‘No one is promised tomorrow’ and that’s what we’re dealing with here,” he said, “I’ve been working morning ’til night. I just felt it was the right time to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ ”

Rosen said he’ll continue to work at sports-radio station KFAN, where he has been a frequent contributor for many years but he would be off the air by 3 p.m., leaving his evenings free.

http://www.startribune.com/mark-rosen-leaving-wcco-tv-in-january-earlier-than-expected/501900981/

Go Gophers!!
 



50 years! I grew up watching Rosen sports segments and then again when I moved back to the Cities in the 2000s. What a career, starting at 16.

I'm 50 and I can't remember watching WCCO sports without Mark Rosen.

I found this a long time ago but just tracked it down again. It is a Rosen 'CCO report from 1975. I didn't watch the whole thing this time but I recall him saying in this report that knee injuries were the biggest issue for players. My, what we know now!

https://tcmedianow.com/wcco-tv-mark-rosens-report-portrait-of-pain-from-1975/

Many old Gopher clips in the video. Also scanned through it and saw a collegiate Tony Dungy at the 1:22 mark.

Cool stuff. Best of luck, Rosie!
 

Man, mens formal attire from the 70's sure looked like clown suits. Thanks for the link. Dave Moore, a kid-Rosen, and knee treatment including 6 weeks in a full hip to ankle cast. It is fun to hear the same trademark Rosen voice dating that far back.
 

Maybe he finally can become governor. I remember when The Chucker said he was going to buy my vote.

I remember one year Rosen got more votes than the socialist and communist parties combined...
 

I'm 50 and I can't remember watching WCCO sports without Mark Rosen.

I found this a long time ago but just tracked it down again. It is a Rosen 'CCO report from 1975. I didn't watch the whole thing this time but I recall him saying in this report that knee injuries were the biggest issue for players. My, what we know now!

https://tcmedianow.com/wcco-tv-mark-rosens-report-portrait-of-pain-from-1975/

Many old Gopher clips in the video. Also scanned through it and saw a collegiate Tony Dungy at the 1:22 mark.

Cool stuff. Best of luck, Rosie!

Wow, fun! Cool that there's some good quality video preserved from that era. Usually old news video is of such poor quality.
 



I met Mark Rosen last year during one of PJ Fleck's weekly radio shows at Joe Sensor's Sports Bar.
Rosie was the epitome of class and humility... a really good guy!
I will miss seeing him on 'CCO, and hope the very best for him and his wife.
 

I’m young so this might taint my viewpoint, but for the last few years Rosen has seemingly been a shell of his former self. Spitting out vanilla opinions and reading the box score. I haven’t found his sports opinions insightful or interesting in a while.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

I’m young so this might taint my viewpoint, but for the last few years Rosen has seemingly been a shell of his former self. Spitting out vanilla opinions and reading the box score. I haven’t found his sports opinions insightful or interesting in a while.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree. He seems like a class guy and real nice, but every take was very cliched. You can predict with 100% accuracy what he will say on the radio in the morning.
 

I agree. He seems like a class guy and real nice, but every take was very cliched. You can predict with 100% accuracy what he will say on the radio in the morning.
Largely agree.
 




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