Long-time WIBW-TV News Director Retires

After a 51-year career in television news, WIBW-TV’s News Director Jon Janes has announced his retirement. 

Janes has spent nearly 24 leading the 13 NEWS team. He came to WIBW in August 1999, and is the longest-serving News Director since WIBW-TV went on the air in 1953.  

“The most rewarding aspect of almost 24 years at WIBW-TV has been kicking off the careers of scores of young journalists, right out of college,” Janes said.  “WIBW-TV covers a 17-county viewing area in Northeast Kansas. Being in charge of a news department that produces news to a potential audience of 425,000 Kansans carries great responsibility.” 

Janes received his BA degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Iowa in 1970 and earned a Master of Science degree at San Diego State University. 

After a three-year Air Force tour that took him to Southeast Asia, Janes held photography, reporting, corporate, and local news management jobs that took him to 20 U.S. cities, his final career stop being WIBW TV.

At WIBW-TV, Janes’ news teams have won 6 Heartland Regional Emmys, and WIBW-TV has been the Kansas Association of Broadcasters’ Station of the Year for the last 10 years.

 "I take great satisfaction when viewers say we do a lot of good with our daily coverage of news in our Kansas communities,” Janes said. “WIBW has a tremendous staff of veterans who become mentors to new employees, and I’ll miss working with them every day,” Janes said. “Northeast Kansas is very fortunate to have those experienced journalists leading the way in local television news.” 

Janes’ retirement is effective June 30. He and his wife, Lynda, plan to stay in Topeka, and will travel and visit family.