Thomas 'Tom' Mark Paul Barnard (born November 7, 1951) is an American radio host and former
voice-over
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...
talent. He was released by Cumulus from the host of ''
The KQ92 Morning Show'' on
92.5 KQRS in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
at the end of 2022 after hosting mornings for 37 years. He currently hosts ''The Tom Barnard Podcast'', which is produced by
Hubbard Broadcasting
Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is an American television and radio broadcasting corporation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded by Stanley E. Hubbard.
The corporation has broadcast outlets scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri ...
.
InsideRadio.com "Not Done Yet After 37 Years, Tom Barnard to Launch Morning Podcast" Jan. 11, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023
/REF>
Personal
Barnard was born in Long Prairie, Minnesota
Long Prairie is a town in Todd County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,458 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. By the 2020 United States census, 2020 Decennial Census the population had grown to 3,661. It is the coun ...
and raised in North Minneapolis. He and his wife Kathryn Brandt live in Edina, Minnesota
Edina ( , ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous ci ...
.
Career
Before coming to KQRS, Barnard worked at numerous stations including WDGY
WDGY (740 Hertz, kHz) is a commercial radio, commercial AM radio, AM radio station city of license, licensed to Hudson, Wisconsin, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul media market, radio market. It is owned by WRPX, inc. and airs a Classic ...
and KSTP (as "The Catman"). Until 1986, he was the booth announcer for KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, serving the Twin Cities area as an affiliate of ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Hubbard Broadcasting, which has owned th ...
.
Barnard, and then-partner Dan Culhane, started the "Tom and Dan" show in 1986 featuring sports reports from WCCO-TV
WCCO-TV (channel 4), branded CBS Minnesota, is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving the Twin Cities area. It is owned and operated by the CBS television network through its CBS News and Stations divisi ...
sports anchor Mark Rosen. At one point, the team of Barnard and Culhane spearheaded a write-in campaign to elect Rosen For Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...
. Culhane was eventually pushed out of the broadcast in a personnel move, while Rosen was "persuaded" by WCCO TV's parent company to move his morning sports to WCCO-AM.
Barnard gave an in-depth interview to the ''St. Paul Pioneer Press
The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the east metro, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington countie ...
'' in which he discussed his strained relationship with his deceased father and compared his radio persona to that of his actual personality. Earlier in his career, Barnard and Culhane were guests with two other Twin Cities radio show duos on a local morning television show in 1988.
Although he is semi-retired from voice-over
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...
work, Barnard can currently be heard in radio ads for Home Depot
The Home Depot, Inc., often referred to as Home Depot, is an American multinational corporation, multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportat ...
. For many years Barnard's voice was heard in various markets, introducing shows and appearing on commercials.
On September 29, 2009's Morning Show wrap-up, Barnard casually mentioned that he's planning to retire from live radio on December 21, 2012. Tom specifically said Terri would take over the Morning show, moments later the discussion moved to a "play off" for host during the year 2012. Tom explained that the 21st is a Friday and it's just before Christmas.
On March 29, 2013, Barnard announced on the air that he would be entering treatment for issues in regard to anger, not substance abuse as previously reported.
In February 2020, Barnard and Cumulus Media announced Barnard had signed an 8 year extension to remain at KQRS until 2028, when he will be 76 years old. In a 2021 interview with KSTP-TV he has announced hi
retirement
His final show was December 23, 2022. The KQ Morning Show continues with Steve Gorman
Steve Gorman (born August 17, 1965) is an American musician and radio host. He is best known as the former drummer of the American rock and roll band The Black Crowes. He spent time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics. He also hos ...
of The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...
replacing Barnard.
Several weeks after retiring from KQRS-FM, Barnard began a weekday three-hour podcast, produced by Hubbard Broadcasting
Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is an American television and radio broadcasting corporation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded by Stanley E. Hubbard.
The corporation has broadcast outlets scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri ...
. The third hour of the podcast was also heard on 105 The Ticket from 6:00pm to 7:00pm in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. As of February 2024, the podcast was no longer broadcast on 105 The Ticket.
Controversy
Barnard has long prided himself on what he refers to as his "insensitive" humor, notably in 1998 when, while working for KQRS, he made racist statements on-air following an influx in Hmong refugee immigration to the Twin Cities and subsequently declared Hmong immigrants should "assimilate or hit the goddamn road." After receiving criticism for his statements, Barnard responded on-air on October 20, 1998: “I will attack who I want to attack.”
Following Barnard's remarks, Hmong activists formed Community Action Against Racism (CAAR), a "multiracial coalition of whites, Latinos, and Asian and African Americans", which organized and drew attention to the issue. CAAR demanded an apology and "successfully organized an economic boycott of the station." While KQRS issued an apology, many in the Twin Cities still called for Barnard's termination as Barnard had continued to make offensive and derogatory statements about "Somalis, African Americans, Mexican Americans and Native Americans" on air.
Awards
Barnard won the 2006 Marconi award :''"Marconi Award" links here. Note that in the Netherlands, the radio academy awards are also called Marconi Awards.''
The Marconi Radio Awards are presented annually by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to the top radio stations and ...
for Large Market Personality of the Year.
Barnard was inducted into the radio Hall of Fame
The Radio Hall of Fame, formerly the National Radio Hall of Fame, is an American organization created by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988.
Three years later, Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communication ...
in 2017, and the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2018.
The Marconi awards recognize excellence in radio broadcasting.
References
External links
KQRS Morning Show
(official site)
Radiotapes.com
Aircheck samples of Tom Barnard's radio career including WDGY-AM as "Catman," KQRS "Cat and Kincaid" and additional current airchecks from the KQRS Morning Show.
Profile of Tom Barnard from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 10, 2010.
Tom Barnard Podcast
(official site)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnard, Tom
1951 births
Living people
People from Long Prairie, Minnesota
American talk radio hosts
Radio personalities from Minneapolis