‘State of Nevada’ host leaves public radio station

The state of KNPR-FM, 88.9 has changed now that the host of its "State of Nevada" morning program has left the station.

Dave Berns, who hosted the public affairs program since 2005, left the public radio station Thursday. Station president and general manager Florence Rogers declined comment, but Berns referred to it as a "mutual parting" that had been brewing for some time.

"We talked about it for a good number of months," Berns, a former Las Vegas Review-Journal business writer, said Thursday. "It's really about the vision for the program. Flo has a different vision for the program. My vision was and remains the idea of hard news and providing context to the breaking news of the day, providing explainers for the how and the why, and also allowing people to get in contact with the newsmakers. And then on through the entertainers and that part of life in Vegas, and doing the evergreen features, whether they tend to be harder stories or softer stories."

The two-hour "State of Nevada" features news, interviews, features, commentary and listener phone calls. It airs at 9 a.m. weekdays and is rebroadcast at 8 p.m. Berns took over "State of Nevada" host duties from longtime local journalist Gwen Castaldi, who founded the program in 2003.

Executive producer Ian Mylchreest will host today and through next week, followed by rebroadcasts the weeks of Dec. 21 and Dec. 28. No decision has been made about a permanent replacement.

"I went from having a good, solid byline at the paper, but with the anonymity that comes with the byline, to having more visibility with the program, but also getting a chance to grow personally, intellectually and spiritually and having a great relationship with the community," Berns said.

"Flo gave me a tremendous opportunity to work for a great organization and I'll always be grateful to her for that."