Arran Andersen departs Denver7 after nearly five years as sports reporter, anchor – The Denver Post
It’s been a little more than two weeks since sports anchor Arran Andersen signed off from KMGH-Channel 7.
“I didn’t want to get overly sentimental, but this has been a blast,” Andersen said in his final broadcast on Oct. 1, donning a flashy plaid suit jacket, standing next to his colleague, Jahmai Webster, dressed similarly, who has also departed. “We’ve had a great time bringing the sports to you at home. Thank you so much for your loyalty … We’ve made great friends in the community.”
Andersen, who had been with Denver7 since December 2011, was a weekend sports anchor and reporter. He covered everything from the Denver Broncos and its Super Bowls to the Rockies and CU Buffs games. He described the move as a “mutual parting of ways.”
“We agreed that it was time to explore other opportunities,” Andersen said in an interview. “Everyone comes to a crossroads in life. I thought it would be a good change. You learn in this business that change isn’t inevitable, it’s constant. I’m excited about the next chapter, wherever that may lead.”
Andersen’s career, like many in local TV, has included several stops. He grew up in Napa Valley, Calif., and graduated with a degree in communications from the University of California Davis before earning a certificate in broadcast journalism from Stanford. He started his career in Casper, Wyo., before moving to Chico, Calif., then Reno, Nev., Salinas, Calif., to Tucson, Ariz., Sacramento, Calif., and then Las Vegas before ending up in Denver.
Webster, a sports anchor and weekend co-host on 7SPORTS Xtra, has already landed a new gig as an on-air personality with NESN. Webster earned a degree in broadcast journalism from California State University in Northridge and had worked for stations in Hawaii and Texas.
Andersen, for his part, says he and his wife would like to stay in Colorado, where he has enjoyed the outdoors, including golfing and fishing. One of his last major projects for Denver7 was a 10-part fishing series about the role the sport plays in Colorado. Andersen says his favorite stories were always local.
Other stories examined professional athletes off the field. Andersen looked at former Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme, now with the Atlanta Falcons, who had earned both a bachelor’s degree and MBA and enjoyed reading books. He also did a feature on former Broncos defensive tackle Justin Bannan, who had a passion for wine.
Andersen expected the decision to part ways with the station roughly 2½ months before his contract ended. He plans to take his time with deciding on what to do next. Whatever it is, he wants to be sure it’s in sports.
“My passion is sports,” Andersen said. “If I wasn’t watching and talking about it, I would be bored to death.”