BOISE -- After more than 30 years at Idaho's NewsChannel 7, longtime KTVB anchor Carolyn Holly announced Tuesday that she will retire from TV news at the end of February to join the executive team at St. Alphonsus Health System.
Carolyn Holly is one of Idaho's most experienced and best known television personalities. Holly has worked for KTVB in Boise, Idaho since 1982. She will celebrate her 33rd anniversary on December 5th.
In an on-air announcement, Holly said, "I will miss all the wonderful people I have worked with at KTVB. They are the most talented, determined and civic-minded individuals around. We are family here, and I will miss them greatly." Holly also drafted this letter to KTVB viewers.
To all our KTVB viewers, you're the best!
As I retire from my 34 years in the TV business the first thought that comes to mind is this: Don't we live in the most marvelous community! I love the "can do" spirit of this place.
The work that you do day in and out to make this such a special community has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. I'm proud to be part of those efforts. Thank you to all who volunteer their time and talents and to our community leaders who help get the work done.
KTVB is a leader in these efforts and for that I take great pride in knowing we are all making a difference!
While I'm retiring from TV, I'm not retiring from being part of this community. When I assume my new career at the end of February, I will still be with one our community leaders. As the Vice President of Public Relations, Community Relations and Marketing at Saint Alphonsus Hospital I will stay totally entrenched in Idaho.
I look forward to working on projects and partnerships to better all of us. It's exciting!
Let me end by saying thank you. I've cherished every moment at KTVB. We are a family and that includes you the viewers. We report for you, with you and together we're doing something special in a place we are so fortunate to call home.
For decades, Idaho viewers have watched Carolyn Holly alongside Mark Johnson as co-anchor of KTVB's News at 10. Most recently, Holly joined Dee Sarton as co-anchor of the News at 4.
Carolyn Holly's broadcast career started the day before she graduated from Oregon State University in 1981, when she was offered a part time job by KGW in Portland and then a full time reporting job at KIFI in Idaho Falls. In 1982, Holly joined the KTVB family as a weekend and morning news anchor. She broke ground in the Idaho journalism world by launching the first half hour morning television newscast in Idaho, Idaho at Sunrise.
In 1990, Holly was promoted to the evening news. She has enjoyed her opportunity of traveling the world for KTVB. She has filed reports from Japan, China and Mexico. But Holly's most memorable assignment was sending back her "own flavor of reports" from the Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
As you might imagine, Holly has had a wide variety of news experiences, but certainly none as startling as the day she was indirectly hit by lightning while broadcasting live from the Boise River festival. "It was a real shocker for our viewers," she laughs. Amazingly, she was not seriously injured from the jolt.
In her distinguished career, Holly has won numerous awards for her reports on health and social issues. She was named one of the Women of Today and Tomorrow for the Girl Scouts.
While work and family occupy a great deal of her time, Holly manages to find plenty of time to give to her community. Her volunteer work has included membership on the St. Alphonsus Hospital Foundation, St. Luke's Hospital Children's Board, The Boise Public Schools Foundation and The Governor's Task Force on Adolescent Pregnancy.
Holly will continue to anchor the News at 4 and 10 through the end of February 2016. She will transition to the executive team at Saint Alphonsus Health System in March 2016.
You can share your memories or well wishes with Carolyn Holly on her Facebook page.
