Former WCCO News Director And GM Ron Handberg Dies At 87

CBS Minnesota

February 10, 2026

Ask almost anyone who worked at WCCO-TV during Ron Handberg's tenure and what they remember most is the standard he set and the trust he placed in the people around him.

Handberg started his career in journalism as a reporter at WCCO AM radio in 1960 and joined WCCO Television in 1964. Over the next quarter century, he did just about every TV news job a person could: reporter, producer, news director, director of public affairs and general manager.

Under Handberg's leadership, the station developed both a local and national reputation for outstanding news and public affairs programming. During his tenure, WCCO-TV was recognized by its peers with five Peabody Awards, five national Emmy Awards, six duPont-Columbia Awards, 13 national RTNDA Awards for news and public affairs coverage, six Sigma Delta Chi Awards and four IRE Awards for investigative reporting.

Ron Handberg/WCCO

Ron Handberg, Mary Tyler Moore and Quent Neufeld when the Mary Tyler Moore Show came to WCCO-TV/WCCO

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