Rhonda McBride
KNBA News ProducerRhonda McBride has a long history of working in both television and radio in Alaska, going back to 1988, when she was news director at KYUK, the public radio and TV stations in Bethel, which broadcast in both the English and Yup’ik languages.
From the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race — to the revival of the Yup’ik language — to the fight to protect the subsistence way of life, McBride was immersed in Alaska Native culture and history on a daily basis. It was one of the best jobs she ever had, she recalls, because she got to work alongside pioneering Yup’ik broadcasters, who incorporated modern technology with traditional story telling skills to preserve their language and culture.
After almost ten years in Bethel, McBride moved on to the Alaska Public Radio Network in Anchorage. She was also a public television producer at KAKM-Channel 7, where she hosted public affairs programs and moderated political debates. Later she worked at KTUU-Channel 2 and KTVA-Channel 11, where she covered politics, economics, rural, and Alaska Native issues.
At KTVA, McBride hosted and produced Frontiers, a weekly TV magazine show which won national awards for its in-depth coverage of rural Alaska and series of documentaries on the Hiland Mountain Lullaby Project, which brought local artists and inmate moms together to compose songs for their children.
In recent years, she returned to her roots in radio to produce KTOO’s Juneau Afternoon talk show. Currently, she is news director at KNBA Radio.
In 2022, McBride was inducted into the Alaska Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame and awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
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State and Local News: A former Anchorage lawmaker’s election interference case ends with a hung jury. Record rains leave Ketchikan worried about a repeat of August’s fatal mudslide.A new report not only tracks climate change’s impacts on the environment and the Alaska Native subsistence lifestyle, but also explains them in everyday language. Weather advisories for freezing rain for Anchorage makes for dangerous driving. -
State and Local News: The Coast Guard searches for missing crew members after a seiner capsized near Hoonah on Sunday. A deadly fire in Sutton killed two people early Saturday. Another pedestrian fatality in Anchorage over the weekend, the 15th this year. The state of Alaska is turning down federal money to remove lead pipes in water lines. The reason might surprise you. Why lead poses a deadly threat to Alaska’s loon population. -
State and Local News: A verdict is expected in the voter misconduct trial of former Republican lawmaker Gabrielle LeDoux. Signs on the Kenai Peninsula that an animal tranquilizer is being mixed with fentanyl, making illegal drugs even more dangerous. The economic benefits of shopping local are spotlighted tomorrow, on Small Business Saturday. The Glenn Highway Christmas Tree tradition lives on. -
A growing number of schools and Alaska companies are seeking out the Alaska Native Heritage Center's cultural awareness training programs as a way to raise cultural literacy. They say the ability to get along with people who are different from you is increasingly important in today's world. -
KNBA Top Stories: Gov. Dunleavy has left the door open to working for the incoming Trump administration but says he's not discussed any job offers with the President-Elect's staff. Two UAF political science professors weigh in on the passage of Ballot Measure 2 which would repeal ranked choice voting. Mt. Spurr is showing signs of life. -
State and Local News: Anchorage police search for the mother of an infant that was found dead downtown last week. Anchorage Daily News staffers vote to unionize. Alaska Republican leaders celebrate Trump's election and regaining control of the U.S. Senate. Alaska lawmakers are quick to organize for the upcoming session. -
State and Local News: Republican Nick Begich leads the race for U.S. House against incumbent Mary Peltola, but that race may not be decided until later this month. Ballot Measure 1 and 2 are on track for passage. -
Laureli Ivanoff started out by writing about life in her Norton Sound community of Unalakleet, stories that found their way into the New York Times and other national magazines. Ivanoff will read from her work this Friday night at the Anchorage Museum. -
President Joe Biden delivered a historic apology to Native Americans for abusive federal Indian boarding school policies. He called it one of the most important things he's done as president. Native leaders say it's a good first step but want the apology to be followed by more meaningful action. -
A rare white raven captivated Anchorage last winter but departed in April with other flocks of ravens, intent upon returning to the wilderness to nest and raise their young. Bird experts say it's possible the white raven could come back to town to spend the winter. In the last week, eyes have turned to the skies to catch a flash of white amid ravens perched on rooftops and street lights. But so far, there have been no confirmed sightings of the white raven, only cases of mistaken identity that involve gulls and pigeons.
