"NBC 11 (KNTV) is well on its way to becoming the best news station on the West Coast," Scott said. "The vice president of news and the sports director are both legitimate visionaries. What this station is doing, merging television with new media and emerging technologies, will become the industry standard. That's why I got into this business in the first place."
A graduate of Stanford University with a master's degree in media studies, Scott is probably best known in Tucson for his work in the KOLD Channel 13 sports department, where he brought a clever, irreverent spin to numerous stories and paired well with lead sportscaster Scott Kilbury.
"Scott Kilbury could be the mayor of Tucson one day," said Scott. "He has that rare combination of being likable on TV while also being a genuinely great person off the air and in the community. Scott has the presence to do the hard-news story, but also has fun in the local sports scene by not taking it all so seriously."
It was that mix that inspired Scott to pitch an afternoon radio show to KCUB AM 1290 The Source. In addition to Scott, The Shootout featured Kilbury and former KOLD sports personality Arran Andersen. When Andersen left for another market, and Kilbury couldn't consistently commit to the product, 1290 moved in another direction, hiring Glenn Parker and Dean Greenberg to fill the afternoon slot, but Scott remained with 1290 and continued in a co-hosting capacity after Greenberg left the show. The Parker/Scott duo turned in some of the best ratings numbers on 1290.
"Working with Glenn has taught me a lot," said Scott. "He has crafted the perfect drive-time sports-talk show for this town. It's fast-paced and full of variety. When the show is nationally syndicated--which I don't think is too far off--I want back in."
Scott also teamed with Brad Allis and me for UA basketball and football pre-game shows.
"I really hate to leave 1290 right now, because hosting the Arizona football and basketball pregame shows and working with Glenn is a blast," Scott said.
Scott is scheduled to continue his radio-hosting duties for another week or so. His last day at KOLD was May 9.
"KOLD will continue to dominate the Tucson market," Scott said. "The news management is smart, and the product is unique. We built a ratings leader by offering something different."
TENNESSEE STATION TOPS KIIM FOR COUNTRY-MUSIC HONOR
Tucson country-music radio power KIIM FM 99.5 couldn't land a statue from the Academy of Country Music Awards, but it did garner a nomination in the Radio Station/Medium Market category. WIVK in Knoxville got the nod."Even though we didn't win, it is an honor to be thought of in the same category as the other nominees, some of whom are legendary stations in the industry," said KIIM program director Buzz Jackson.
