KC Stations Rally Around Harman

Nice gesture from the Kansas City stations following WDAF meteorologist Don Harman’s suicide last week, reports TVSpy, as rivals KHSB, KMBC and KCTV offered to cover the WDAF newsroom so staffers could attend the wake and funeral.

WDAF has politely turned down the offer.

“While we greatly appreciate the gestures, we won’t need the help,” News Director Bryan McGruder said.

Harman died November 29; several reports have called the cause suicide. 

WDAF’s website mentions a memorial fund for Harman to raise money for local charities. It’s centered out of the curiously titled town of Tightwad, Missouri.

Says the site:

Why Tightwad? Don had a heart for Tightwad. Probably because of its funny name. If you watched Don, you heard him mention the tiny town in Henry County from time to time.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.