KFVS' Dave Courvoisier leaving for Las Vegas

On May 30, news anchor and reporter Dave Courvoisier will say goodbye to Cape Girardeau and KFVS-12 for the second time in his career. This time, he's headed back to Las Vegas, where he worked for 13 years before returning home to KFVS in 1998.

Apparently, it wasn't an easy decision for him.

"Leaving KFVS and Cape Girardeau is a bittersweet thing for me and my family," Courvoisier wrote in an e-mail to me last week after one of his 6 p.m. newscasts. "We've enjoyed five unforgettable years as part of this community. We still have family here, we have life-long friends here, and will stay in close contact."

In the e-mail, he also wanted his viewers to know the reasons for his leaving:

"Broadcast news is a challenging profession, not the least of which is making decisions about career directions," he wrote. "Raycom Media and I could not agree on terms of my future employment at KFVS. I've welcomed the chance to be here. My life and my work has been enriched by all the people at KFVS-12. Please come and see us in our new home in Las Vegas."

KFVS general manager Mike Smythe said Courvoisier will be missed.

"He has been a public service advocate and has done a wonderful job for this community," Smythe said. "He's been amazing."

Smythe said losing Courvoisier is a big loss to the community and the television station.

"He's been excellent, a quality journalist. The thing we're going to miss about Dave the most is the respect he has in the community," Smythe said.

In Dave's own words, he came to KFVS-12 "very green" in 1981, where he worked until 1984. In his first stint at KFVS, he anchored "The Breakfast Show," in addition to producing and reporting. In his final year, he co-anchored with Mike Shain.

"It was a wonderful training ground for me," he said.

He especially remembers a regular segment called "Wednesday's Child," featuring children hoping to be adopted.

The segment helped Courvoisier realize the value of public service. Since then, he has adapted the basic idea in other TV markets, to include children waiting to be matched with a "big brother" or "big sister."

When he went to Las Vegas in 1984 to work for NBC affiliate KVBC, he continued his "Wednesday's Child" reports. He also served on the board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Court Appointed Special Advocates and many other civic, community and charitable organizations. He was a well-respected member of that community for 13 years.

But he can't escape the fact that -- despite all that good work -- he is still largely remembered for a bit role he had in the movie "Casino."

While in Vegas in 1994, he auditioned for the movie and, to his surprise, he was called back for a second reading. "When I came for the reading, director Martin Scorsese was sitting in the room with the casting director -- no pressure there!" Courvoisier said.

He got the part and appeared in the 1970s-period movie as a newscaster -- sideburns, mustache, polyester suit and all.

"I can always tell when 'Casino' comes up in the rotation on the USA Channel or on cable, because I always get e-mails from people who want to confirm that it's me," he said. "It is."

Despite his brush with Hollywood, the opportunity later came in 1998 for Courvoisier to come back home. The timing coincided with some personal and family goals and he jumped at the chance. After all, he had met his wife, Victoria Holt, in Cape Girardeau.

Returning to Cape Girardeau in 1998, he realized that the area did not have a Big Brothers/Big Sisters chapter. Along with other dedicated members of the community, he helped to set up a Big Brothers/Big Sisters office here. Now, more than two years later, more than 120 children are being served by significant mentors in their lives.

Courvoisier has also done much work for the Area Wide United Way and the local CASA organization.

Courvoisier said he will miss working with those groups, as well as all the other relationships he's built over the years.

Even if it's a bittersweet move, Courvoisier is looking forward to positive change in Las Vegas.

"The job that awaits me is a challenging opportunity at a top station in the market," he said.

His new station, KLAS, is a CBS affiliate that was once owned by Howard Hughes and sits a block from the Strip. Today, KLAS is locked in a ratings race with the station where Courvoisier used to work.

"It will be a little weird working with my former competitors, but I appreciated the professionalism of KLAS back then, and now I get to be part of that team," he said. "KVBC is more Hollywood in its approach to the news. KLAS is more about good old-fashioned journalism."

He doesn't expect everyone will remember him.

"Las Vegas has grown even more since I left," he said. "I figure in the five years I've been gone, there are some 300,000 new residents there who've never heard of Dave Courvoisier. Luckily for me, there are many more who do remember, and that's what KLAS is banking on."

And wouldn't you know it. He'll also be doing "Wednesday's Child" reports again.

By the way, Smythe said KFVS has launched a national search to replace him. Dave sounds like a tough guy to replace.

Hester off air at KZIM

Dave Courvoisier isn't the only local personality to leave Cape Girardeau's news airwaves. Terry Hester, talk station KZIM 960's morning show host for many years, has moved from his on-air job to become corporate program director for Zimmer's radio stations in central Missouri and Lawrence, Kan.

He will still be stationed in Zimmer's corporate office in Cape Girardeau.

His co-host, Faune Riggin, said she will miss him.

"I felt we had a fantastic morning show and a great team product," he said. "We served the community well working as a team."

Operations manager Whitney Thomas said that staff members Riggin, Todd Bonacki, Eric Stock, Erik Sean and Brad Palmer have taken over Hester's on-air duties.

Scott Moyers is the business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to Biz Buzz, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, e-mail smoyers@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 137.