ANCHORS AWAY

Anchors Away! THERE’S LIFE OFF THE DESK FOR TWO LOCAL TV VETERANS

Written by Jon Stepanek

Jay Kohn

Bob McGuire

It’s been over two years since Jay Kohn and Bob McGuire shared the anchor desk on KTVQ-TV. They were part of the top-rated newscast for more than twenty years. Even after being off the desk for a few years, they still get recognized everywhere they go. “People still come up and want to talk about the news or sports. And almost everyone I run into in Billings is nice,” said Kohn.

Jay signed off as the Q2 News Co-Anchor in late 2018. He has continued to do spot reporting and this year added football play-by-play of the Montana Grizzlies. Jay covered presidential visits, cattle drives, the state legislature and community events for two decades in Billings and nearly four decades in Montana.

Kohn never envisioned starting a new journey in his broadcasting career after retiring at the end of 2018. His new gig with the Griz is a perfect fit. "It's really been fun," Kohn said. A UM graduate with many family ties to the school, he said he's enjoyed the inside access to the teams this season the most. Bob McGuire closed the book on a 35-year broadcast career on New Year’s Eve 2020. Over that time, he logged more than 26,000 regularly scheduled newscasts and hundreds of severe weather alerts. One of the most

memorable was leading the weather coverage on Q2 of the Father’s Day tornado in 2010. He has called Billings home since 1984 except for a brief 2-year run at KOMO-TV in Seattle. Bob still loves to forecast weather, so he continues to partner with the Breakfast Flakes on Cat Country Radio in Billings. “I worked from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. for some 30 years, I needed a break”, said McGuire. “I was ready to retire. Every day is Saturday to me now”.

The transition to part-time and “do what I want to do” work has come easy, but both Bob and Jay miss the day-to-day interaction in the newsroom. “The world of broadcast news is so different today”, said Kohn. “I don’t miss that. I do miss the interaction with my co-workers.”

McGuire and his wife Lynn stay busy as travel hosts for Holiday Vacations having just returned from two weeks in Ireland. He said they want to keep traveling as long as possible.

Most of their day-to-day challenges have been fought off air. But Bob and Jay have both been public with the illness and heartbreak of cancer. Jay and his wife Judy lost their daughter Melanie to cancer in October 2021. It will leave a hole in their heart forever. Bob was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and is currently cancer-free. He made his goal to walk the Relay for Life survivors walk the next year and he hosted to Survivors Dinner for years.

Their advice to anyone who is ready to retire. Make plans to stay busy! “Retirement gives you the freedom to make decisions”, said Kohn. “It’s important you get up and get moving every day.” You’ll often see Jay on the local hiking trails or playing disc golf in Pioneer Park. You will often see Bob in their yard working on landscaping and renovation projects. He admitted he moved up to a riding lawnmower recently but still gets plenty of exercise. Staying healthy is important to both but also comes with a challenge as you grow older. “Most of my doctors I’ve seen over the years have now retired!”, said Kohn. “It’s a little intimidating to find new healthcare partners, but you have to be willing to change your doctors.” They also encourage everyone to be comfortable asking for help.

“The Adult Resource Alliance became a one stop shop for us when my father retired”, said Kohn. “They were a valuable resource, and we had no idea how much they do!”