Colleagues abuzz over Passolt's handsome salary

Fox 9 TV anchor Jeff Passolt makes $525,000 a year.

As the folks at NewsBlues.com averred: "Yes, that is not a misprint."

Confirmation of the stunning salary -- $25,000 of which probably comes from his morning radio gig -- has local newsrooms buzzing.

The figures come courtesy of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, from which Passolt sought relief because a Hennepin County divorce judgment determined that his ex-wife, Lisa Passolt, should be paid permanent alimony of $16,740 a month. "The district court found that, based on the parties' very high marital standard of living, wife would have reasonable monthly living expenses of $12,286 after the younger child's emancipation and the sale of the marital homestead, and husband had reasonable monthly living expenses of $11,986," according to court papers.

One local broadcast insider told me that colleagues were shocked and friends at Fox 9 were irritated. An insider at another station stressed that Passolt assumed the main chair during a time when anchors were treated like news gods. A third source noted that Passolt is, after all, the most senior anchorman in the market since Paul Magers left KARE11 and Don Shelby retired in 2010 from WCCO-TV.

Calling Passolt a "franchise player," Shelby told me, "No, I wasn't surprised [Passolt makes $500,000]. His years of experience, his importance to that franchise. He puts fans in the seats" -- like a pro athlete.

"There is a reason why one associates Jeff Passolt with that station," Shelby said. "He is the embodiment of that station. There are anchors working this market who deserve increases, but Jeff Passolt obviously does [as well]."

Between the salary numbers and the Passolt exes tussling over a country club membership they paid more for in 2005 (between $40,000 and $50,000) than some TV colleagues who've taken pay cuts will make in 2011, some TV types can see this information creating morale problems at Fox 9.

For that reason, Fox 9 managers can't appreciate Passolt's short-sighted legal strategy that exposed his salary and therefore his bosses to the hostilities of employees who make far, far less.

Passolt did not respond to my Monday e-mail asking if his appeal was worth it. The unpretentious Passolt is so private he did not want me to disclose the name of his fiancée (now wife) to whom he got engaged two months after his 30-year marriage officially ended in May 2010.

According to court documents, Passolt wanted step reductions to be part of future alimony payments. At the time of their divorce, Lisa earned $3,000 annually as a part-time fitness instructor, and an expert hired by Jeff testified that Lisa could eventually earn $37,000 a year by updating her teaching certificates. The appeals court instructed the lower court to revisit this issue.

Ironically, the best argument for a reduction in alimony may come after Jeff's next contract. Few predict it'll remain in the $500,000 range. In today's economy, it's common for TV anchors to take salary cuts.

A groom dissedMinnesota's Kris Humphries officially doesn't rate. People magazine, out Friday with coverage of his Saturday marriage to what's her name, excludes him from its cover photo of the wedding of the decade. Just the beginning ...

A Fancy weddingFancy Ray is going to love officiating the marriage of Kla Haeck and Jehra Patrick. This nice Minneapolis couple seems open to all possible shenanigans that might be perpetrated by this baaad poet and self-proclaimed "Best-Looking Man in Comedy."

Why would they want him anywhere near their big day on Saturday?

"Because I like him," laughed Haeck, whose first name is pronounced "Clay."

Haeck isn't even angling for a sneaky, legally non-binding ceremony like the one Mick Jagger pulled on Jerry Hall in Bali.

"My wife and I are actually legally married, but we never had a ceremony with family, so we're having one," said Haeck, who is a Web designer. Patrick is program coordinator for mnartists.org. "We got married last year on Easter Sunday in Las Vegas. It was a spur of the moment thing. We were there for a friend's wedding and just got married the day after that."

Fancy Ray, from high atop his soapbox, told me: "I'm going to bring something FANTASTIC and SPIRITUAL and POWERFUL. Bring two hearts together that were meant to be. I've been asked to officiate marriages a million times and I never have. But I'm going to do it this time."

Will a real minister be on hand? Although Fancy Ray laughed, in a wounded tone he added, "You're insulting me." (That's my calling when Fancy's on the phone.) "I'm recognized by the Universal Life Church as a minister," he said.

Good gawd -- now he's a mail-order minister!

Haeck said he's paying Fancy Ray $300. Haeck and Jehra are ready for anything -- even the likelihood that Fancy Ray, who already has a girlfriend, might be trying to pick up wedding guests. Even Fancy Ray showing up dressed in something pimpalicious.

"We're going to let him do whatever he wants. We are looking for something exciting and upbeat. We're excited," said Haeck. "I've seen him on TV and around town. He's a staple around the Twin Cities."

Haeck and Patrick don't have children yet and they planned it that way. "No, we're keeping it classic in that respect," said Haeck.

Last week they had their first planning session for the ceremony with Fancy Ray. "You know, I've got a poem that Kla and Jehra inspired me to write after I met them. I'm going to read it at their ceremony," said Fancy Ray. "You want to hear a poem?"

No!