The forgotten man.

Something has been bothering me a little bit lately.

In our journalism classes, and all throughout CreComm, people have been celebrating Dawna Friesen's appointment as the new anchor on Global National. This is not what I have a problem with, however over the top I think it may be, sometimes.

What has bothered me, and maybe this is just me being too contrary, is the lack of mention about Kevin Newman in basically any media, particularly Winnipeg media.

I admit, I haven't spent the past weeks actively searching out tributes to Kevin Newman and this is a personal opinion.

And, before anyone asks, I know he left by his own choice and wasn't forced out or anything.

It's just, amidst all the unbridled joy, I feel like Newman has been somewhat forgotten by Winnipeggers and CreComms for the great work he did for a decade.

Newman took over the fledgling Global National in 2001 as their first anchor and executive editor. Competing against much more established newscasts on CBC and CTV, Newman took his network to the top of the game.

By the time he left, they had pulled even with CTV as the most watched national news in Canada. Not bad for a program that had started less than a decade before.

Newman was a multiple Gemini winner as Canada's best anchor and came up with the idea to go on a cross country tour in covering the 2004 Federal Election, an idea that has been copied by all other major networks these days.

His final show featured many emotional tributes from groups thanking him for his work through the years. It was a great episode and a fitting send off for someone who really revolutionized anchoring in our country.

Kevin Newman is the guy who really got me interested in television news and always made it more interesting and easier to watch then it had been in the past. I don't think people should forget that simply because the new anchor graduated from our program.

Maybe that's just me but either way...thanks for the memories Kevin.