Long-time KOLN/KGIN TV anchorman Mel Mains died early Tuesday at his Beatrice home. The 73 year old Mains had been in a long battle with cancer.
Mains became one of the most familiar faces in Nebraska journalism history after beginning his journalism career as a 19 year old braodcaster for Beatrice radio station KWBE. He later worked at stations in Shenandoah, Iowa; Independence, Missouri; and Kansas City before joining KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln in 1961.
He worked at 10/11 until his retirement in July of 1995. Earlier this year he was honored by the Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mel is survived by is wife Karen.
A native of Holmesville, Nebraska, Mel Mains was born 10 days before the stock market crash of 1929. He graduated from Wymore High School in 1947, then spent one year at Doane Colledge in Crete and then one year at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
At the age of 19, Mel began his broadcasting career in radio with KWBE in Beatrice, in June 1949. He also worked as the farm director and newscaster at KMA radio in Shenandoah, Iowa. After he was drafted in 1951, he worked for the army Hometown News Center in Kansas City, then for KIMO radio in Independence, Missouri and then KCTY-TV and WDAF AM/TV in Kansas City. He later served as the Executive Director of the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kansas, in 1959, as well as a public relations position in Kansas City from 1959 to 1961.
In November, 1961, Mel was hired at KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln. During the next 34 years, he anchored the evening news on Ten-Eleven for thousands of Nebraska viewers across the state. Mel Mains became an institution within the Nebraska media and a household name for Nebraskans. Mel appreciated the responsibility that came with delivering daily newscasts and being such a trusted member of the community.
After his retirement from KOLN/KGIN-TV in July, 1995, Mains remained active as a news broadcasters for KWBE radio in Beatrice, the same station he had worked for at the start of his career.
Mel Mains passed away on May 26, 2003, after a struggle with cancer. Mel said, "I'd like to be remembered as a true friend that you could trust.....that's the way I want to be remembered." And certainly, he is.
Mains became one of the most familiar faces in Nebraska journalism history after beginning his journalism career as a 19 year old braodcaster for Beatrice radio station KWBE. He later worked at stations in Shenandoah, Iowa; Independence, Missouri; and Kansas City before joining KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln in 1961.
He worked at 10/11 until his retirement in July of 1995. Earlier this year he was honored by the Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mel is survived by is wife Karen.
A native of Holmesville, Nebraska, Mel Mains was born 10 days before the stock market crash of 1929. He graduated from Wymore High School in 1947, then spent one year at Doane Colledge in Crete and then one year at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
At the age of 19, Mel began his broadcasting career in radio with KWBE in Beatrice, in June 1949. He also worked as the farm director and newscaster at KMA radio in Shenandoah, Iowa. After he was drafted in 1951, he worked for the army Hometown News Center in Kansas City, then for KIMO radio in Independence, Missouri and then KCTY-TV and WDAF AM/TV in Kansas City. He later served as the Executive Director of the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kansas, in 1959, as well as a public relations position in Kansas City from 1959 to 1961.
In November, 1961, Mel was hired at KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln. During the next 34 years, he anchored the evening news on Ten-Eleven for thousands of Nebraska viewers across the state. Mel Mains became an institution within the Nebraska media and a household name for Nebraskans. Mel appreciated the responsibility that came with delivering daily newscasts and being such a trusted member of the community.
After his retirement from KOLN/KGIN-TV in July, 1995, Mains remained active as a news broadcasters for KWBE radio in Beatrice, the same station he had worked for at the start of his career.
Mel Mains passed away on May 26, 2003, after a struggle with cancer. Mel said, "I'd like to be remembered as a true friend that you could trust.....that's the way I want to be remembered." And certainly, he is.
Long-time KOLN/KGIN TV anchorman Mel Mains died early Tuesday at his Beatrice home. The 73 year old Mains had been in a long battle with cancer.
Mains became one of the most familiar faces in Nebraska journalism history after beginning his journalism career as a 19 year old braodcaster for Beatrice radio station KWBE. He later worked at stations in Shenandoah, Iowa; Independence, Missouri; and Kansas City before joining KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln in 1961.
He worked at 10/11 until his retirement in July of 1995. Earlier this year he was honored by the Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mel is survived by is wife Karen.
A native of Holmesville, Nebraska, Mel Mains was born 10 days before the stock market crash of 1929. He graduated from Wymore High School in 1947, then spent one year at Doane Colledge in Crete and then one year at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
At the age of 19, Mel began his broadcasting career in radio with KWBE in Beatrice, in June 1949. He also worked as the farm director and newscaster at KMA radio in Shenandoah, Iowa. After he was drafted in 1951, he worked for the army Hometown News Center in Kansas City, then for KIMO radio in Independence, Missouri and then KCTY-TV and WDAF AM/TV in Kansas City. He later served as the Executive Director of the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kansas, in 1959, as well as a public relations position in Kansas City from 1959 to 1961.
In November, 1961, Mel was hired at KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln. During the next 34 years, he anchored the evening news on Ten-Eleven for thousands of Nebraska viewers across the state. Mel Mains became an institution within the Nebraska media and a household name for Nebraskans. Mel appreciated the responsibility that came with delivering daily newscasts and being such a trusted member of the community.
After his retirement from KOLN/KGIN-TV in July, 1995, Mains remained active as a news broadcasters for KWBE radio in Beatrice, the same station he had worked for at the start of his career.
Mel Mains passed away on May 26, 2003, after a struggle with cancer. Mel said, "I'd like to be remembered as a true friend that you could trust.....that's the way I want to be remembered." And certainly, he is.
Mains became one of the most familiar faces in Nebraska journalism history after beginning his journalism career as a 19 year old braodcaster for Beatrice radio station KWBE. He later worked at stations in Shenandoah, Iowa; Independence, Missouri; and Kansas City before joining KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln in 1961.
He worked at 10/11 until his retirement in July of 1995. Earlier this year he was honored by the Nebraska Associated Press Broadcasters Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mel is survived by is wife Karen.
A native of Holmesville, Nebraska, Mel Mains was born 10 days before the stock market crash of 1929. He graduated from Wymore High School in 1947, then spent one year at Doane Colledge in Crete and then one year at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
At the age of 19, Mel began his broadcasting career in radio with KWBE in Beatrice, in June 1949. He also worked as the farm director and newscaster at KMA radio in Shenandoah, Iowa. After he was drafted in 1951, he worked for the army Hometown News Center in Kansas City, then for KIMO radio in Independence, Missouri and then KCTY-TV and WDAF AM/TV in Kansas City. He later served as the Executive Director of the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kansas, in 1959, as well as a public relations position in Kansas City from 1959 to 1961.
In November, 1961, Mel was hired at KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln. During the next 34 years, he anchored the evening news on Ten-Eleven for thousands of Nebraska viewers across the state. Mel Mains became an institution within the Nebraska media and a household name for Nebraskans. Mel appreciated the responsibility that came with delivering daily newscasts and being such a trusted member of the community.
After his retirement from KOLN/KGIN-TV in July, 1995, Mains remained active as a news broadcasters for KWBE radio in Beatrice, the same station he had worked for at the start of his career.
Mel Mains passed away on May 26, 2003, after a struggle with cancer. Mel said, "I'd like to be remembered as a true friend that you could trust.....that's the way I want to be remembered." And certainly, he is.
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