KCRG-TV names Quad Cities anchor to co-helm evening news

Jim Mertens takes over slot left by Chris Earl

The Gazette

May. 10, 2022 8:00 am, Updated: May. 10, 2022 1:49 pm

Jim Mertens, KCRG TV

CEDAR RAPIDS — KCRG-TV announced Tuesday that the Quad Cities WQAD’s Jim Mertens will take over its evening co-anchor spot vacated by Chris Earl in February.

Mertens will start May 24 co-anchoring with Beth Malicki and Nicole Agee, the ABC-affiliated station said in a news release.

Mertens worked for his hometown radio station, WFON in Fond du Lac, Wis., while in high school and at WAXX-FM/WAYY Radio while attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He later worked at WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, then WWMT TV in Kalamazoo, Mich., where he was an anchor and reporter.

Mertens started as news anchor at WQAD in 1995.

Earl is now evening anchor with Fox affiliate WFTX in Cape Coral, Fla.