ST. LOUIS – Over the past 40 years, St. Louisans have seen John Pertzborn reporting and anchoring on their TV screens. But this fall, he will be hanging up his bowties.

Since 1998, Pertzborn has sat at the FOX 2 anchor desk bringing energy to the screen in the early mornings—4 a.m. early. His last day will be Wednesday, Oct. 22.

The roots

His own story began in his home state of Wisconsin. Originally obtaining a pilot license, he quickly switched gears to communication arts after discovering ROTC and the military wasn’t a good fit for him, he said.

All it took was a friend’s suggestion to be in front of a camera. Soon after, Pertzborn entered the University of Wisconsin’s Journalism School, but on the other side of the industry.

“I went in (to the Badger Herald Newspaper), I said, ‘Hey, I’d like to do something during the summertime.’ And they said, ‘Why don’t you go write an article on this?’ They were closing down the arboretum…I did a whole story on it, I took the pictures and everything,” he said. “All of a sudden, the newspaper comes out, and I saw my name, byline, and the article. I got these chills. I said, ‘I want to do this.’”

So, he did it. For 43 years.

He was hooked on the fast-paced driven industry from there—to the point he was willing to sacrifice attending his own graduation.

“I found out I had to work on Saturday, which was the day of my graduation. I wasn’t going to go to my graduation. I had the cap and gown and everything…the assignment desk says, ‘We’re sending you to the graduation today at the University of Wisconsin,’ (I said), ‘That’s my graduation. Oh, that’s cool,’” Pertzborn laughed. “I was doing my standup and I put the mic down, I went up and received it and came back on the air.”

He only stayed in Wisconsin for a few more years—after becoming news editor of his school’s independent newspaper, a radio host and eventual anchor reporter for a few local stations—before coming to the Gateway City.

Making a name in St. Louis

“(My dad) would always bring his 8mm camera down and show St. Louis on our screen at home. I kind of fell in love with a city I’d never been to.”

He’d always kept St. Louis in his mind. As a kid, the Pertzborn family took a trip to Mississippi in the 1960s when they came across the Arch, which was still in its building phase.

“Somebody said, ‘Johnny, look up, there it is.’ I looked over and I could see the Arch. Never thinking I wanted to be here, but that image was seared in my brain,” he said.

Pertzborn heard of an opening at KSDK in fall of 1985 through some connections, and within a few days, he was officially a St. Louisan. It was there he was able to hone in on his new-found love as a feature correspondent. Not only was he able to highlight local stories in his series, Pertzborn’s People, but while on vacation, he would often cover stories around the world.

13 years later, he made the jump to FOX 2. He joined the morning team with Glenn Zimmerman, John Auble, Victoria Babu, Tim Ezell and later Randi Naughton.

He continued telling the stories of local community members with different series like Everybody Has a Story, You Are Here, and more. Throughout his time in the industry, he’s won four local Emmys, two Illinois Press Awards, an SPJ Best Spot News Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

“My goal was to just have fun with a feature story and make it so people would watch. What could I do that would be unique? How could I make it more fun?” he said. “I never underestimate the viewer—the viewer is smart. The viewer can tell a phony a mile away. But St. Louis is forgiving, too. And once people accept you, you’re in for life.”

Life away from the desk

While Pertzborn sees his job as an outlet and cherishes his work connecting with the community, he admitted it’s a demanding job and saw it as the right time to step away.

“I did it all when my son was growing up. Going to bed at 6 p.m., I missed huge chunks of his life. My wife would go to bed probably around midnight, I’d already been sleeping for six hours. I wake up, she’s sound asleep,” he said. “I’m going to miss it, but right now, I just want to do some other stuff with my friends and family.”

So far in the planner, he has a skiing trip in Colorado planned with his wife and kids, a trip back home to Wisconsin to visit friends, and potentially a few flying hours to get his pilot’s license current. And one more thing—sleep.

“Glenn (Zimmerman) was on mornings for a long time. He had done it before me, and he had this theory that if we have too much rest, we’ll never perform in the morning. There was some truth to that,” he said.

Beyond big trips, he hopes to get back into running, working out, and spending time in his garden—as his wife watches him through the window instead of the television screen.  

“Like so many viewers in St. Louis, I will personally miss John on our air. John and I started at FOX 2 within months of each other in 1998. We both have watched our station change dramatically over the last 27 years…he has helped to solidify our number one position and became a viewer favorite. We will all miss John’s upbeat personality and great sense of humor. He has earned a special retirement after becoming a special person to all of us in St. Louis,” KTVI and KPLR General Manager Kurt Krueger said.

News Director Olivia Dangler added, “John is more than just a valued member of the FOX 2 News team. For 40 years, he has been a trusted voice in our community, guiding viewers through the biggest moments in St. Louis history with compassion, clarity and character. As he prepares to retire, we celebrate not only John’s accomplishments, but his integrity and the connection he’s built with generations of viewers.”

Following John’s departure, FOX 2’s Mike Colombo will be joining the morning team.