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Immigrant Stories Working His Way Back Home Originally published in U Magazine Winter/Spring 2001 Web publishing with the permission of the Fargo/Cass Economic Development Corporation It's been seven years and plenty of air time for Jeremy Jorgenson, but he finally did make it back. Jorgenson had made plenty of friends in Fargo-Moorhead as a mass communications student at Concordia in the early '90s. But no broadcasting jobs opened up after college, so it was back to Montana for the Billings native. He's moved a lot since then, seeking larger markets and "a good quality station where I could be happy working in a fun atmosphere." One by one, he found those jobs, working variously as sports anchor and sports director at TV stations in Kalispell and Great Falls, then Kearney, Nebraska, and Idaho Falls. "Each was a minor step up," says Jorgenson. "The truth is that when I graduated, I knew I would try to come back here, but I never knew if it would work out." It did. When Jorgenson heard about KVRR/FOX television's fledgling news program in Fargo, he jumped at the chance to return to the area. Jorgenson is KVRR's sports director, a job that includes directing coverage and anchoring the sports segment on weeknights. Helping launch a brand new sports department has made Jorgenson's job especially interesting. "It wasn't established," he says. "The sports pro-gram was mine from the start, so that's been fun." A self-proclaimed sports junkie, Jorgenson says his enthusiasm for sports - any sports - sets him apart. "I try to hit everything in terms of what we cover," he says. "I love sports so much. I have a reputation for getting emotionally involved with the teams I cover - the coaches and kids know I care about them." Even away from work, Jorgenson says he's often watching sports - "I'm pretty consumed by it," he says - or golfing. Although the season may be a little short here, Jorgenson has discovered plenty of golf courses in the area. Fargo-Moorhead is actually the second largest market Jorgenson has worked in - Kearney was larger - but it has huge potential amid plenty of community sports offerings, says Jorgenson. "Of all the jobs I've had, this is the best," he says. Not only are television salaries competitive in this market, but "there's just a lot of potential for the station," Jorgenson believes. "And most of my friends from college still live here," he adds with a smile. "I really feel this is a long-term move for me." U

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