KARE 11 and longtime morning anchor Kim Insley 'part ways'

Longtime KARE 11 morning news program anchor Kim Insley is no longer with the television station.

On Friday, KARE 11 announced on Facebook that the station and Insley, anchor of the KARE 11 "Sunrise" show since April 1993, were "parting ways."

On her Facebook page, Insley posted a video of herself saying, "You've probably heard that I'm not on the air anymore, which means after 24 and a half years, there's a lot to look forward to and there's a lot to be grateful for."

As she walked through some Twin Cities settings in the video, Insley thanked her former colleagues and viewers, and said she is "already working on some projects that I hope will benefit this community."

"I want to be a problem solver, to work on things I'm passionate about, things like education and science and civic engagement," she said.

Fans and colleagues on Twitter and on her Facebook page responded with variations of "mornings will never be the same," but urged Insley to enjoy sleeping in.

"You built the mornings at KARE and set the standard for the market," wrote Jason DeRusha, WCCO-TV morning anchor, on Facebook.

KARE 11 meteorologist Belinda Jensen wrote, "You have always been a true leader for mornings at the station thru so many changes, not to mention conquering the working hours that most would of crumbled under, given your longevity."

"You always brought a sense of kindness that I deeply treasured. However, you combined that with intelligent probing and the result was top flight journalism," wrote former Minnesota governor Arne Carlson.

Insley, who once described her perfect day as being able to sleep for as long as she wanted, has been getting up early on weekdays as part of the longest-running morning show team in the Twin Cities TV market with co-anchor Tim McNiff.

McNiff left the station in 2014 after 21 years with KARE, but he returned to again team up with Insley last May.

Insley received an Upper Midwest Chapter Regional Emmy Award for best On-Camera Talent, news anchor, in 2009.

In addition to her anchor work, she created, produced and worked for the Emmy-award winning "What's Cool in Our School" segment on Thursdays during the school year.

The KARE 11 announcement said, "Kim has been a leader in the newsroom and we are appreciative and grateful for her many contributions. We have been working with Kim to make sure this transition is as seamless as possible. This is in no way a reflection of Kim's many talents. She will be missed at KARE 11 and we wish her the best."

Before coming to the Twin Cities, Insley worked as an anchor and reporter with television stations in Portland, Ore., and Sacramento, Calif.

The University of Texas graduate is married with two daughters, two dogs and two cats, according to her KARE 11 bio.

Richard Chin • 612-673-1775