Eric Olsen took over as News Director in July of 2021. He has 30 years of broadcast journalism experience including previous news director positions in Norfolk, Virginia; New Bern, North Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina. He also held management positions in Toledo, Ohio; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Boston, Massachusetts. Eric’s full-time career started in Peoria, Illinois, following his graduation from Illinois State University. Eric is a proud Redbird and supporter of ISU’s TV-10 program.
Eric’s career includes coverage of some major news events. He was a coordinating producer for coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics while working in Louisville. He led a station through an evacuation during coverage of Hurricane Florence, with the station getting back on its feet and broadcasting remotely for weeks due to damage to their studio. While in Norfolk, he won a Capitol Region Emmy Award for a documentary called ‘The New Canaan Experiment: Teaching Tolerance.’ The show celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the partnership between Norfolk State University and New Canaan, Connecticut, schools that brought African American student teachers to mostly white New Canaan to help break racial barriers.
Eric is also a strong supporter of the American Heart Association. He is a heart attack survivor. He shared his story in a national social media campaign with the AHA, and he did a follow up campaign for them related to managing heart disease and diabetes during the pandemic.
Eric is an avid golfer, so you might run into him on the area’s courses. He’s also a big sports fan and really enjoys the opportunities to hear live music at events like the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival.
