Jeff Korbelik: Royale Da leaving KOLN/KGIN-TV

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Morning show host Royale Dá had renegotiated her contract with KOLN/KGIN-TV and was all set to sign.

Then Albuquerque called.

Well, more specifically, ABC affiliate KOAT in Albuquerque, N.M., called.

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It changed everything.

Dá accepted an offer to become weekend morning anchor and reporter at the New Mexico TV station. March 25 will be her last day at 10/11.

Dá (pronounced “day”) always said the one place she would leave Lincoln for is Albuquerque, where much of her family lives. Albuquerque-Santa Fe is the nation’s 44th largest TV market, according to Nielsen Media Research. Lincoln is No. 104.

“There’ll be lot of pressure just because my relatives will be watching,” she joked. “I’m sure I’ll get plenty of personal critiques from them. It comes with the territory.”

Dá has been at KOLN since April 2004, coming here from Duluth, Minn., where she landed her first job after graduating from the University of Minnesota.

“I was nervous about moving to Lincoln,” she said. “I never had been here. After arriving I was pleasantly surprised. I love the city. I bought my first house here. I became a collegiate fan here, and I made friends here. I’ll definitely be back to visit.”

But not to stay.

“When I used my vacation, it was to see my family,” she said. “Now I’ll be there for all the holidays, the birthdays and all of those things.”

 Across the remote

* The Corporation for Public Broadcasting awarded community radio station KZUM (89.3 FM) a $75,000 grant for its digital conversion. The station is hoping to raise another $40,000 to complete the conversion.     

Broadcasting digitally means more band width for the station, allowing for an additional signal for more programming. I’ll have more about the conversion and how it’ll affect listeners in an upcoming column.

* NRG-owned radio station WOW-FM (105.3 FM) began transitioning from its jockless format last Friday, when program director E.J. Marshall started hosting drivetime (2-6 p.m.). Marshall said the station, which plays 1970s music, eventually will feature more on-air local talent, including a morning-show team. 

* Brandon Rector is the new KOLN/KGIN-TV weekend meteorologist. He replaces Rusty Dawkins, who left in October for a TV gig in Austin, Minn. Rector comes to Lincoln from NBC affiliate KRBC in Abilene, Texas.

* Three Eagles-owned radio station 96KX (96.9 FM) raised $68,000 during its Feb. 14-16 radiothon to benefit the cancer clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Omaha. This was the second year for the radiothon. 96KX raised $51,000 last year.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.