Pete Carran, an Alaska hall of fame radio journalist for more than five decades who spent most of his career in Juneau, died Wednesday at the age of 77.

Carran, who spent 15 years in Anchorage working in radio and television after being honorably discharged from the military in the late 1960s, moved to Juneau in 1984 shortly after covering his first legislative session here. During subsequent decades he became a local icon primarily at KJNO and then KINY radio, both as a newscaster whose voice was often daily morning listening for residents as well as a talk show host.

“He just covered everything,” said Ed Schoenfeld, a Douglas resident who spent nearly 40 years as a fellow print/radio journalist in Alaska until retiring in 2018, in an interview Friday. “If there was an important municipal meeting he’d be there or listening to it, and always pick up the high points. And he was a person who always knew what was going on and what people were interested in.”

“And he was very quick to get things on the air, which of course in news is important and in radio news is essential. So if you wanted to figure out what was going on with a big fire or something like that around town you probably went to KINY…I would always listen to his newscasts to see what I was missing.”

Carran could be a gruff, no-nonsense person during the course of work, but “had a more friendly on-air character,” Newsom said.

“Coming back years later he had mellowed out as well,” Newsom said, “He turned into a real dog lover. I’d take my dog into work and Pete was like his favorite person in the whole world.”

Carran broadcast KINY’s News of the North for more than 20 years, according to an obituary published Friday by Frontier Media, the station’s current owners. He also served as a host for the station’s Action Line, Capitol Chat and Problem Corner programs while at KINY.

In Juneau he also worked for public broadcasting station KTOO-TV. Prior to coming to Alaska’s capital he served as general manager for KBBI public radio in Homer, and for the Anchorage stations KFQD-AM, KAKM-TV, KTNX Radio and KTUU-TV.

He was inducted as the 65th member of the Alaska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2019 and retired in 2022.

“I have a lot of appreciation for him for the years of good questions on issues important to our community and state,” state Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, wrote in a December 2021 social media message after an interview with him. “Thank you for your good work, and good humor, that made us all more informed, Pete. Best wishes in everything that comes next.”

Other local residents and organizations also offered tributes to Carran.

“Much love and condolences to Pete’s family and many friends,” the Juneau Police Department posted on its Facebook page. “Staff at JPD were very sad to hear the news about Pete Carran’s passing. We knew Pete from softball, his journalism and broadcasting career, his connection to local veterans groups, patriotic spirit and community contributions, as the Grand Marshal of a 4th of July Parade, the moderator of a gubernatorial debate and as the owner and sidekick of Rufus the Wonder Doodle. Pete was great to work with and we appreciated his dedication to building relationships, checking in, and taking extra care to ensure the news he reported was spot on.”

Carran served as one of the grand marshals of Juneau’s Fourth of July parade, during which he wore a Capital City Fire/Rescue hat he said he was given by the department when he tried to retire from broadcasting in 2014.

But despite his high pubic profile, “he didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to himself,” Schoenfeld said.

“I just think Pete thought — and you know a lot of people say this — ‘I report news. I’m not the news,’” Schoenfeld said.

This story was originally published by the Juneau Independent.