Pete Carran, longtime Juneau radio journalist and hall of fame broadcaster, dies at 77
- Mark Sabbatini
- Oct 31
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 1
Locals, coworkers remember him as an aggressive newsman, familiar voice and gruff persona with an affectionate side
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Pete Carran, an Alaska hall of fame radio journalist for more than five decades who spent most of his career in Juneau, died Wednesday at the age of 77.
Carran, who spent 15 years in Anchorage working in radio and television after being honorably discharged from the military in the late 1960s, moved to Juneau in 1984 shortly after covering his first legislative session here. During subsequent decades he became a local icon primarily at KJNO and then KINY radio, both as a newscaster whose voice was often daily morning listening for residents as well as a talk show host.
"He just covered everything," said Ed Schoenfeld, a Douglas resident who spent nearly 40 years as a fellow print/radio journalist in Alaska until retiring in 2018, in an interview Friday. "If there was an important municipal meeting he'd be there or listening to it, and always pick up the high points. And he was a person who always knew what was going on and what people were interested in."
"And he was very quick to get things on the air, which of course in news is important and in radio news is essential. So if you wanted to figure out what was going on with a big fire or something like that around town you probably went to KINY…I would always listen to his newscasts to see what I was missing."
See below: Pete Carran’s life, in his own words
Jeff Newsom, an on-air radio talent who worked at KINY for several years beginning in the mid-1990s (going by his first and middle names as "Jeff McCoy") and again after a roughly five-year interval, said Friday that Carran "was always very dogged."
"I considered him a really great journalist," Newsom said. "He was on top of that. It seemed there were multiple people in the news department, but Pete definitely could have been a one-man show by himself."
Carran could be a gruff, no-nonsense person during the course of work, but "had a more friendly on-air character," Newsom said.
"Coming back years later he had mellowed out as well," Newsom said, "He turned into a real dog lover. I’d take my dog into work and Pete was like his favorite person in the whole world."
Carran broadcast KINY’s News of the North for more than 20 years, according to an obituary published Friday by Frontier Media, the station’s current owners. He also served as a host for the station’s Action Line, Capitol Chat and Problem Corner programs while at KINY.
In Juneau he also worked for public broadcasting station KTOO-TV. Prior to coming to Alaska’s capital he served as general manager for KBBI public radio in Homer, and for the Anchorage stations KFQD-AM, KAKM-TV, KTNX Radio and KTUU-TV.
He was inducted as the 65th member of the Alaska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2019 and retired in 2022.
"I have a lot of appreciation for him for the years of good questions on issues important to our community and state," state Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, wrote in a December 2021 social media message after an interview with him. "Thank you for your good work, and good humor, that made us all more informed, Pete. Best wishes in everything that comes next."
Other local residents and organizations also offered tributes to Carran.
"Much love and condolences to Pete’s family and many friends," the Juneau Police Department posted on its Facebook page. "Staff at JPD were very sad to hear the news about Pete Carran’s passing. We knew Pete from softball, his journalism and broadcasting career, his connection to local veterans groups, patriotic spirit and community contributions, as the Grand Marshal of a 4th of July Parade, the moderator of a gubernatorial debate and as the owner and sidekick of Rufus the Wonder Doodle. Pete was great to work with and we appreciated his dedication to building relationships, checking in, and taking extra care to ensure the news he reported was spot on."
Carran served as one of the grand marshals of Juneau’s Fourth of July parade, during which he wore a Capital City Fire/Rescue hat he said he was given by the department when he tried to retire from broadcasting in 2014.
But despite his high pubic profile, "he didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to himself," Schoenfeld said.
"I just think Pete thought — and you know a lot of people say this — ‘I report news. I'm not the news,’" Schoenfeld said.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
Pete Carran in his own words
The following is Pete Carran’s self-written bio when he was named one of the grand marshals for Juneau’s Fourth of July parade in 2023:
Would you like to be a Grand Marshal in our parade this year? That was the question put to me by parade official Daymond Geary.
Although it assaults my humility, it is an honor that was difficult to decline. I think of others who are far more deserving of such an honor. I’ve often thought that the likes of Bruce Bowler and Seadogs, all of the dogs and their handlers, would make for great parade marshals. The heroes of Juneau Mountain Rescue would be another choice.
But the theme for this year’s parade is “Voices of Alaska.” I have been one of those for over 50 years. I’ll join the likes of former coworkers and grand marshals Dennis Egan and Sharon Gaiptman. Another deserving to be a Grand Marshal is my long time KINY Radio sidekick Kelly Peres.
I was born April 6, 1948. I suspect I was conceived over the 4thof July in 1947. I knew a draft notice was on its way in 1967 so I foiled those plans and enlisted in the Army. Following training as a broadcast specialist at the Defense Information School, I thought I was headed to Vietnam. The Army chose a two-year overseas assignment to Ft. Richardson, outside Anchorage, instead. I consider that occasion as one of the most fortuitous ones in my life with the exception of meeting my wife Jan.
Following my honorable discharge, I chose to remain in Alaska. That ranks among my very best decisions with the exception of proposing to Jan.
I spent 15 years in Anchorage working in radio and television. KTUU TV asked me to travel to Juneau to cover the legislative session in 1984. Following the conclusion of the session I returned to Anchorage just long enough to pack my bags and move permanently to Juneau. That was another of my wise decisions.
I spent some time working for the state until I had an opportunity to return to radio at KINY to work with the likes of Egan and Peres. That was another good decision.
I’m now 75 and must admit I feel old when people approach me to say they grew up listening to me on the radio. It’s so gratifying when they say nice things about my work and thank me for my contributions. But I tell them I was just doing my job to the best of my ability.
I was honored in 2019 by being inducted into the Alaska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. The following year the Juneau Softball Association inducted me as a Pioneer in its hall of fame. Ever since then, I wondered what hall of fame might be next . Well, being nominated and accepted as a grand marshal for this year’s parade ranks right up there with those other honors.
I must share a couple of memories about past Juneau parades. My favorite came in 1987 when Juneau honored the remaining survivors of the USS Juneau sunk during World War II in the Pacific. In addition to the five survivors, the son of the vessel’s captain and the PBY pilot who disobeyed orders and rescued the sailors also participated in that parade . Those men were so touched by the outpouring of appreciation displayed by Juneau and its residents. There were tears in their eyes..
Other favorite parades for me were those in which the Yankee Doodles marched. I sponsored the event for several years. My inspiration was my doodle dog Rufus who also doubled as a personality on KINY. We always were voted the Best Pet entry since we were the only pet entry most years.
In other years, I would narrate the Declaration of Independence for broadcast at the beginning of the parade. I was filled with the patriotic spirit as I recited the esteemed document. Some complained that it was too long, but so were the British transgressions outlined by Thomas Jefferson when he penned it.
Another fortuitous thing in my life is being an American citizen. All I can say about that is “God Bless America.” In all of man kind, there’ been nothing like it.
In conclusion, my advice is to thoroughly enjoy the day. It will be the only July 4, 2023, you’ll ever have, so make it a good one and be safe.
