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Kevin Essebaggers
Kevin is a familiar face on 9&10 News. He first began reporting right after graduating from Central Michigan University in 1998. Except for a couple of detours to get his master's degree and to teach at CMU, Kevin has worked to bring you memorable stories since then. In 2001, he became the live feature reporter for Michigan This Morning ... a role that took him all over northern Michigan to introduce viewers to all kinds of interesting people and places. In 2004, Kevin's role changed to anchor of 9&10 News at Noon and 5:00. Since 2011, he's been staying up later to bring you 9&10 News at 6:00 and 11:00. You may even see him filling in on Sports Extra from time to time.
Among his most popular segments are Try Before You Buy, where Kevin figures out if products are worth your money, so you don't have to! If you've seen it on a TV infomercial, Kevin's probably tested it. Over the years he's earned teo Michigan Emmy awards and several nominations for documentaries on area veterans. In 2014 and 2022, he was able to take trips to Washington, D.C. along with area WWII veterans on the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight. Kevin's also brought you specials on the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy, the Great Storm of 1913, and the all-Michigan made Mackinac Island ferry, the Miss Margy. Several of these documentaries have been featured at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival. His work has earned honors from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, The Associated Press, and RTDNA's Edward R. Murrow awards.
Originally from Fruitport, Michigan, Kevin first appeared on broadcast television in 1993 hosting televised Bingo on Thursday nights (yes, that's a real thing) on Muskegon's WMKG-TV 40. He also has radio experience engineering Detroit Tigers games and playing "soft rock" at the now defunct WKBZ in Muskegon, DJing "Hot Rockin' Country" on Mt. Pleasant's WCEN, and reporting and hosting news programs for the CMU Public Radio Network.