KAAL-TV has decided to replace morning news anchor Terry Kelley temporarily due to his registration for the District 27 senate election.

Thursday, January 17, 2002

KAAL-TV has decided to replace morning news anchor Terry Kelley temporarily due to his registration for the District 27 senate election. Kelley will stay at the station as a producer and will come back on the air if he decides not to run for office.

On Dec. 31, Kelly filed a campaign committee, &uot;Minnesotans for Kelley,&uot; for senate district 27 as a DFL candidate. The incumbent is Sen. Grace Schwab, R-Albert Lea.

Kelly has not decided yet if he will actually run for the election. And he said the committee is just a exploratory body.

KAAL-TV’s decision is to comply with an &uot;equal exposure policy&uot; the station has for election coverage, according General Manager Pat St. George.

&uot;As a media that is open to pretty severe scrutiny from the general public, we need pull him off the air for the time being while he makes the decision,&uot; he said.

St. George says the decision will also ensure a fair election process.

&uot;We basically don’t support any individual candidate, and we report all of them equally. With Terry on the air, I feel that may give him an unfair advantage over any other candidates who may want to run against him.&uot;

The measure is temporary until March 31, according the station. Reporter Dawn Stevens will be an interim anchor.

St .George said Kelley would be indefinitely off the the air if he indeed became a candidate, whether or not he would continue to work for the station.

&uot;It is not a matter of a punishment situation. We have to make sure that we maintain a fair election process,&uot; St. George emphasized.