Ex-Tom Barnard sidekick Terri Traen no longer working at KQRS

The longtime Tom Barnard sidekick has apparently lost her afternoon show.

April 26, 2017 at 10:37PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Terri Traen/Star Tribune photo by Carlos Gonzalez

Looks like Terri Traen couldn't survive without Tom Barnard. The onetime sidekick on KQRS's popular morning show left her high-profile gig last year to launch an afternoon show with Brian Zepp, another former member of the Barnard team.

It didn't last. The KQRS fan page on Facebook announced Monday that the station had said goodbye to the duo.

"It's a tough day here at the Q when we have to say goodbye to two friends and coworkers," the posting said. "We wish Zepp & Terri nothing but the best." As for Tuesday morning, nearly 900 comments had been left.

Traen's personal Facebook page was also flooded with messages, many of them vowing to never listen to KQRS again.

KQ Operations Manager Scott Jameson said Tuesday morning that it is company policy not to comment on personnel moves.

Traen and Zepp, who held the 5-7 p.m. shift, are no longer listed on KQRS's web page. Ray Erick is slotted to work from 4-8 p.m.

Traen had been at the station since 1986 and her often abrasive relationship with Barnard on air was key to its success. Zepp had been at KQ for more than 15 years. Barnard is under contract at KQ until the end of 2019.

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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