Tom Barnard
Encyclopedia
Thomas 'Tom' Barnard is an American
talk radio
host and former voice-over
talent. He is currently the host of The KQ92 Morning Show broadcast in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
and raised in North Minneapolis. He and his wife Kathryn Brandt live with their two children in Golden Valley, Minnesota
.
Barnard has been overweight for several years and several years ago began a regular exercise regimen. Since then, he has lost nearly 100 pounds. He occasionally discusses his long bike rides around various parts of the Twin Cities area.
and KSTP (as "The Catman"). Until 1986, he was the booth announcer for KSTP-TV
.
Barnard, and then-partner Dan Culhane, started the "Tom and Dan" show in 1986 featuring sports reports from WCCO-TV
sports anchor Mark Rosen. At one point, the team of Barnard and Culhane spearheaded a write-in campaign to elect Rosen For Governor of Minnesota
. Culhane was eventually pushed out of the broadcast in a personnel move, while Rosen was "persuaded" by WCCO_TV's parent company to move his morning sports to WCCO-AM
Barnard is known for being very reclusive, refusing virtually all media interviews and rarely making public appearances. He did however recently give an in-depth interiew to the St. Paul Pioneer Press
in which he discussed his strained relationship with his deceased father and compared his radio persona to that of his actual personality. Earlier in his career, Barnard and Culhane were guests with two other Twin Cities radio show duos on a local morning television show in 1988.
With podcasting technology, the KQRS Morning Show has reached national and international audiences. Regardless of the growth in his show's market, Barnard continuously assures listeners that the show will maintain its focus on the news, weather, sports and traffic of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Although he is semi-retired from voice-over
work, Barnard can currently be heard in radio ads for Home Depot. For many years Barnard's voice was heard in various markets, introducing shows and appearing on commercials.
On September 29, 2009's Morning Show wrap-up, Barnard casually mentioned that he's planning to retire from live radio on December 21, 2012. Tom specifically said Terri would take over the Morning show, moments later the discussion moved to a "play off" for host during the year 2012. Tom explained that the 21st is a Friday and it's just before Christmas.
On December 8, 2009, Tom Barnard said via Facebook, "After many weeks of discussion with my Wife, Marc the G.M. of K.Q. and the guy who hired me, Dave Hamilton, I asked a very bright friend of mine what he thought of me leaving K.Q.R.S. He said, 'If there is any proof in this world that there is a God it is the life you have because of the unwavering support of K.Q. listeners. Only an idiot would walk away from that.' I guess they'll have to fire me someday.
"I will be at K.Q. until they fire me or I drop over in my tracks. Hopefully , that will be a while. Thank You for your unbelievable support. (For the cynics out there, no, money doesn't enter in to it.)"
for Large Market Personality of the Year. The Marconi awards recognize excellence in radio broadcasting.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and former voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
talent. He is currently the host of The KQ92 Morning Show broadcast in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Personal
Barnard was born in Long Prairie, MinnesotaLong Prairie, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 3,040 people, 1,229 households and 769 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,285.2 per square mile . There were 1,334 housing units at an average density of 564.0 per square mile...
and raised in North Minneapolis. He and his wife Kathryn Brandt live with their two children in Golden Valley, Minnesota
Golden Valley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,281 people, 8,449 households, and 5,508 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,982.3 people per square mile . There were 8,589 housing units at an average density of 839.5 per square mile...
.
Barnard has been overweight for several years and several years ago began a regular exercise regimen. Since then, he has lost nearly 100 pounds. He occasionally discusses his long bike rides around various parts of the Twin Cities area.
Career
Before coming to KQRS, Barnard worked at numerous stations including WDGYKFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
and KSTP (as "The Catman"). Until 1986, he was the booth announcer for KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located at the Shoreview Telefarm. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other broadcasting properties across the United States....
.
Barnard, and then-partner Dan Culhane, started the "Tom and Dan" show in 1986 featuring sports reports from WCCO-TV
WCCO-TV
WCCO-TV, is the CBS owned and operated television station that serves the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota. Its transmitter is at the Telefarm complex in Shoreview, Minnesota.- History :...
sports anchor Mark Rosen. At one point, the team of Barnard and Culhane spearheaded a write-in campaign to elect Rosen For Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
. Culhane was eventually pushed out of the broadcast in a personnel move, while Rosen was "persuaded" by WCCO_TV's parent company to move his morning sports to WCCO-AM
Barnard is known for being very reclusive, refusing virtually all media interviews and rarely making public appearances. He did however recently give an in-depth interiew to the St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County,...
in which he discussed his strained relationship with his deceased father and compared his radio persona to that of his actual personality. Earlier in his career, Barnard and Culhane were guests with two other Twin Cities radio show duos on a local morning television show in 1988.
With podcasting technology, the KQRS Morning Show has reached national and international audiences. Regardless of the growth in his show's market, Barnard continuously assures listeners that the show will maintain its focus on the news, weather, sports and traffic of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Although he is semi-retired from voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
work, Barnard can currently be heard in radio ads for Home Depot. For many years Barnard's voice was heard in various markets, introducing shows and appearing on commercials.
On September 29, 2009's Morning Show wrap-up, Barnard casually mentioned that he's planning to retire from live radio on December 21, 2012. Tom specifically said Terri would take over the Morning show, moments later the discussion moved to a "play off" for host during the year 2012. Tom explained that the 21st is a Friday and it's just before Christmas.
On December 8, 2009, Tom Barnard said via Facebook, "After many weeks of discussion with my Wife, Marc the G.M. of K.Q. and the guy who hired me, Dave Hamilton, I asked a very bright friend of mine what he thought of me leaving K.Q.R.S. He said, 'If there is any proof in this world that there is a God it is the life you have because of the unwavering support of K.Q. listeners. Only an idiot would walk away from that.' I guess they'll have to fire me someday.
"I will be at K.Q. until they fire me or I drop over in my tracks. Hopefully , that will be a while. Thank You for your unbelievable support. (For the cynics out there, no, money doesn't enter in to it.)"
Controversial statements
Over the years, Barnard has come under fire for his comments over race and politics.- In November 1998, Minnesota's HmongHmong peopleThe Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
community were angered when Barnard and his co-hosts ridiculed a teenage Hmong girl who was charged with killing her newborn son.
- Also in 1998, more than 50 taxis showed up to protest at KQRS in response to jokes Barnard made in the wake of the fatal shooting of a SomaliSomali peopleSomalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
cab driver.
- During the 2002 Minnesota Senate RaceUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 2002The 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone was running for re-election to a third term, but died in a plane crash eleven days before the election. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party chose former Vice President...
, Barnard stated he hates Paul WellstonePaul WellstonePaul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
and wishes he would "drop dead" while interviewing Norm ColemanNorm ColemanNorman Bertram Coleman, Jr. is an American attorney and politician. He was a United States senator from Minnesota from 2003 to 2009. Coleman was elected in 2002 and served in the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. Before becoming a senator, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2002...
. Weeks later Wellstone was killed in a plane crash, he later apologized for those comments.
- In August 2006, the show made fun of a local hip-hop celebration, ridiculing the African-American artists' names and predicting that there will be at least nine shootings at the event.
Awards
Barnard won the 2006 Marconi awardNAB Marconi Radio Awards
The Marconi Radio Awards are presented annually by the National Association of Broadcasters to the top radio stations and on-air personalities in the United States. The awards are named in honor of Guglielmo Marconi, the man generally credited as the "Father of Wireless Telegraphy." NAB member...
for Large Market Personality of the Year. The Marconi awards recognize excellence in radio broadcasting.
External links
- KQRS Morning Show (official site)
- Radiotapes.com Aircheck samples of Tom Barnard's radio career including WDGY-AM as "Catman," KQRS "Cat and Kincaid" and additional current airchecks from the KQRS Morning Show.
- Star Tribune Profile of Tom Barnard from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 10, 2010.