>> CATHY: THIS IS THE LAST SHOW THAT OUR LONGTIME PRODUCER KARI KENNEDY WILL BE AT THE HELM AS SHE LEAVES US FOR RETIREMENT.

TO SAY WE’LL MISS HER IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

OUR MARY LAHAMMER CAPTURED SOME FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THOSE OF US WHO KNOW KARI BEST IN THIS TRIBUTE.

>> Mary: BEHIND THE SCENES IS WHERE THE UNSUNG HEROES OF TELEVISION WORK.

>> I THINK OF MYSELF AS THE PERSON WHO HAS TEN DIFFERENT PLANS IN PLACE BECAUSE SOMETHING ALWAYS GOES WRONG AND I DON'T WANT NIP AT HOME TO KNOW -- AND I DON'T WANT ANYONE AT HOME TO KNOW IT WENT WRONG.

SOP I DECIDE WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE ON THE SHOW.

>> Mary: FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, KARI KENNEDY HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MINNESOTA'S MOST TRUSTED AND RESPECTED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM "ALMANAC."

>> Cathy: KARI IS METICULOUS, SHE'S VERY FUNNY, SHE'S GOT A WICKED SENSE OF HUMOR THAT I THINK PEOPLE DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND OR APPRECIATE AND I DO.

SHE ALSO IS JUST SO HONEST.

SHE IS JUST HONEST AS THE DAY IS LONG.

AND I LOVE HER.

AND I'M GOING TO MISS HER TERRIBLY.

>> Eric: KARI IS VERY DEDICATED.

SHE TOOK THE MANTEL OF -- LEADERSHIP AFTER BRENDEN RETIRED, BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS FOR "ALMANAC" AND FOR NEWS IN GENERAL.

>> SHE'S IN YOUR EAR.

>> Cathy: KARI KENNEDY IS IN MY EAR, YES.

SHE LIVES IN MY HEAD.

>> Eric: ONE NIGHT WE HAD A GUEST BAIL AT LIKE 5:45 AND THE SHOW STARTS AT 7:00 AND WE'RE IN THE BRIEFING ROOM AND SHE CALMLY WENT ON HER PHONE, CAME UP WITH AN EXTRA GUEST THAT WE HADN'T HAD BEFORE, PUT IT TOGETHER, SEEMLESSLY PUT THE SHOW TOGETHER, THE AUDIENCE HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WERE SCRAMBLING FOR A GUEST AN HOUR EFORE THE SHOW STARTED.

AND THAT REALLY WAS EMBLEMATIC OF HER ABILITY TO TAKE CHARGE IN A CRISIS.

>> WE WEREN'T ON TELEVISION.

AND, SO, -- AND ERIC AND CATHY COULDN'T KNOW, YOU CAN'T TELL THEM THAT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T KNOW BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO DO THE SHOW.

THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST DISASTERS EVER.

>> YOU KIND OF MANAGE CHAOS?

>> YES, IT'S CONTROLLED CHAOS.

>> Mary: AS SUPERVISING PRODUCER AT "ALMANAC," KENNEDY PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE CONVERSATIONS, JOURNALISM AND STORIES THAT HAVE HELPED OUR STATE BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST.

>> Eric: THE SHOW IS A LITTLE BIT OF A TIGHTROPE WALK BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE CURRENT FROM WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE END OF THE WEEK BUT WANT TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT TO STUFF THAT HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE WEEK.

SO THERE'S A MAGIC THERE TO BLEND THE TWO.

AND SHE'S VERY GOOD AT DOING THAT.

>> Cathy: KARI KENNEDY ABSOLUTELY IS THE JOURNALISTIC BACKBONE OF "ALMANAC."

ABSOLUTELY.

SHE'S GOT GREAT NEWS JUDGMENT AND I TRUST HER IMPLICITLY, WHICH YOU DO NEED TO TRUST YOUR PRODUCERS IMPLICITLY, LIKE, WITH YOUR LIFE, IN A SENSE.

SO I TRUST HER JUDGMENT, WHEN SHE SAYS SOMETHING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A QUESTION, GO WITH HER BECAUSE SHE'S GOT GOOD INSTINCTS.

>> Mary: THAT TRUSTED, THOUGHTFUL, BALANCED APPROACH, KARI HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FIERCE ALLY AND A LOYAL PARTNER IN MAINTAINING OUR JOURNALISTIC CREDIBILITY AND NONPARTISAN APPROACH.

SHE'S DONE THE HARD WORK, WORKED THE LONG HOURS, WE'VE BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT, NIGHTS, WEEKENDS.

WORKING THROUGH WHAT'S BEEN A TOUGH TIME IN POLITICS AND MEDIA.

>> I ALWAYS SAY, IT'S MY JOB DURING THE WEEK TO GET THE SHOW READY TO GO.

ONCE I GET INTO THE CONTROL ROOM, I HAND IT OFF TO THE CREW AND THE DIRECTOR.

AND IT'S OUR FABULOUS DIRECTOR SCOTT'S JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTROLLED CHAOS HAPPENS.

HE IS DIRECTING THE SHOW.

>> KARI IS ALWAYS CONSISTENT AND CONFIDENT IN HER DECISIONS WHEN SHE'S RUNNING THE SHOW.

>> DESCRIBE WHAT KARI DOES BEHIND THE SCENES WITH YOU?

>> OH, BOY, WHAT DOESN'T KARI DO BEHIND THE SCENES?

SHE'S THE, I WOULD SAY, THE FIELD GENERAL.

AND SHE TAKES US INTO BATTLE, NOT THAT THE SHOW IS A BATTLE, BUT IT'S LIVE TELEVISION.

>> Mary: KARI'S PROFESSIONALISM, INTEGRITY, AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE HAVE STRENGTHENED NOT ONLY "ALMANAC" BUT ALL OF MINNESOTA PBS WHO COUNTED ON HER AS A TRUSTED COLLEAGUE.

>> SHE TRUSTS THAT I'M GOING TO BE THERE WHEN I NEED TO BE THERE TO HIT THE MARK THAT I NEED TO HIT.

AND THAT'S GOOD LEADERSHIP.

>> I THINK FOR OUR VIEWERS, THEY CAN COME TO EXPECT A POLISHED PRODUCT ON THE AIR, SOMETHING THAT'S BIPARTISAN, NONPARTISAN, AND SOMETHING THAT GIVES THEM INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN USE IN THEIR WEEK-TO-WEEK LIFE.

>> Mary: HOW HARD IS IT TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO HER NOW?

>> IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH BECAUSE SHE'S A CONSTANT.

HAS BEEN A CONSTANT.

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN I'M IN THE BOOTH OVER THERE, I CAN TURN TO THE RIGHT AND SHE'S ALWAYS THERE.

>> WE ARE LOSING OUR LEADER.

IT'S THE END OF AN ERA HERE AT "ALMANAC."

>> WE ARE VERY MUCH A FAMILY HERE.

MANY OF US HERE HAVE WORKED HERE FOR A LONG TIME.

MANY OF US AVE MANY REPS HERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF EXPERIENCES, A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK BEHIND THE SCENES.

>> I WISH WE DIDN'T HAVE TO MAKE THIS VIDEO.

WE'RE GOING TO MISS HER.

>> THIS IS DEFINITELY THE END OF AN ERA.

>> Mary: "ALMANAC" HAS MARKED MANY MILESTONES WITH BIPARTISAN CELEBRATIONS, HERALDED BY TOP POLITICAL LEADERS.

>> Eric: ALL FOUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE HERE WITH US.

>> Mary: AND NOTABLE NAMES WHICH WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT KARI KENNEDY MAKING THE CALL.

>> THESE AREN'T JUST COLLEAGUES AND THIS ISN'T JUST A JOB, IS IT?

>> NO, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE I WAS 23 YEARS OLD.

THIS IS MY SECOND FAMILY.

I STARTED HERE BEFORE I HAD CHILDREN.

AND I HAVE GRANDDAUGHTERS NOW.

I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE HERE.

>> Cathy: I'M GOING TO MISS KARI'S VOICE IN ME EAR, TOO.

HONESTLY.

IT'S THE VOICE OF CALM.

IN STORMS THAT SOMETIMES LOOK LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO SWAMP THE SHOW BUT THEY NEVER DO BECAUSE SHE'S AT THE HELM.

>> Mary: I THINK IN SO MANY WAYS KARI IS "ALMANAC," WHEN YOU SAY SHE'S FUNNY, SHE'S SMART, SHE'S FAIR.

I MEAN, SHE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE SHOW'S VALUES, ISN'T SHE?

>> Cathy: I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT SHE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF WHAT THIS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT.

SHE TRULY IS.

YEAH.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

I THINK THAT THAT IS A REALLY GREAT WAY TO DESCRIBE HER.

SHE'S EVEN A LITTLE QUIRKY.

>> Eric: I'M GOING TO MISS HER.

>> Mary: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEAVE YOUR BABY?

>> IT'S REALLY HARD.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE DEDICATED MYSELF TO THIS PLACE.

SOMETIMES PERHAPS TO THE DETRIMENT OF OTHER THINGS IN