SOMETHING MANY SUCCESSFUL business leaders have in common is that rare ability to make a tough job look easy. One who pulls it off is TV6/Fox UP Vice-President and General Manager Rick Rhoades. Always wearing a smile and ready for talk… small or otherwise, Rick handles his very prominent job with the look of a guy who enjoys what he does.
Rhoades occupies the corner office (literally) of the area’s most venerable television station, which gives him a level of gravitas he could justifiably flaunt to an obnoxious degree. But that’s not Rick. Having grown up in Gwinn, he leans on his local roots when dealing with the public, and also when making management decisions about how TV6 will serve the Upper Peninsula community.
“Community involvement means everything to TV6,” he says. “We donate over $100,000 of our airtime each year to groups who are fundraising or trying to create an awareness for their event. We are just happy to be there for people making as much of an impact as possible.”
And though he’s not responsible for its creation, Rick is understandably proud to be a steward of the TV6 Canathon. “We’ve collected over 4 million pounds of food since the mid 1980’s. That’s pretty impactful.”
Not Always a Breeze
Rhoades has faced his share of challenges. The pandemic was uncharted territory and, one way or another, he lost most of his veteran on-air talent, all within the space of a couple years. “It’s impossible to replace Steve Asplund, Karl Bohnak, Greg Trick, Vicky Crystal and Mike Ludlum.” Rick says, “But, when you have a talented group of young reporters and anchors who are ready to make that next step, it wasn’t that difficult when you look back at it.”
Long time viewers of the station know when a young talent shows promise, it means we may not see them much longer. Small market stations often serve as stepping-stones to bigger markets, and that will always be the case when you’re #181 out of 210. But the Asplunds and Bohnaks of the world were once those fresh faces we welcomed into our homes, and that worked out okay.
Assembling the Team
Of course, being a good manager means surrounding yourself with department heads who share your passion and commitment. “What I’ve learned over the last few years is the more autonomy I can give our department heads, the smoother our operation moves. Our department heads are experts and 99% of the time, know more about our issues within their departments than I do.”
Taking advantage of what appears to be pretty good ownership in Gray Media, Rhoades has been able to put his stamp on a number of changes. “We launched 3 new local news programs over the last 8 years… TV6 First Look at 5pm, Upper Michigan Today, expanding UMT to one hour and the launching of our TV6 Early news on Saturday and Sunday. We’ve introduced TV6 Investigates, and we’ve also developed the Carl V. Pellonpaa Lifetime Achievement award. There’s a lot of be proud of.”
Not Just Television
The world of social media is also an area where TV6/Fox UP has built a considerable following. Station posts on Facebook… that are the least bit controversial, inevitably trigger hundreds of comments. As you would expect, those comments range from the insightful, to the downright stupid, to those that are blatantly inappropriate.
Rather than just focus on the issue, some commenters choose to attack the messenger. Accusations of bias are frequently leveled at TV6, which I’m sure… like every other station in the market, strives to present a fair representation of the news. It does them no good to alienate half their audience. Rick responds… “We aren’t promoting a political agenda, despite what some might say. I respect everyone’s opinions and I’m happy to take calls from all of our viewers.”
He’s Everywhere!
Affable and approachable, Rick’s manner plays well regardless of the setting. That might be one reason he’s involved in so much extracurricular activity.
Think you’re busy? Strap this on… President of the Economic Club of Marquette County. President of the Marquette Ambassadors. Chairman of the board for the UP Hospice Foundation board. LSCP Executive Committee. Michigan Association of Broadcasters Executive Committee. Lake Superior Community Partnership board. Michigan Association of Broadcasters board. And Great Lakes Recovery board.
It probably helps that the formerly aspiring stand-up comedian has a sense of humor. He’s also the co-founder and co-organizer of the annual Stand U.P. Comedy Festival held in November each year in Marquette.
He probably spends enough time at the golf course, but since that’s a family affair, it’s easy to justify. Plus, he’s very good.
A Steady Rise to the Top
Rick got his start at TV6 back in 2003. Sales, to sales manager, to general manager. Though at the time I thought he was pretty young to be promoted to the GM’s job, apparently he was ready for it.
Now it’ll be interesting to see if he turns out to be a lifer at TV6, or, when his daughters are out on their own, decides to take on a new challenge. Whatever happens, it would serve us well if he’s always a part of our community.
Recognition
Probably having something to do with all that stuff outlined here, Rick is being honored with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award at next Thursday’s Lake Superior Community Partnership Annual Dinner.
“Rick has been a steadfast partner to the LSCP for many years, and someone I personally turn to for trusted guidance and perspective,” says LSCP Executive Director Christopher Germain. “Beyond his LSCP board service, Rick has been instrumental in fostering a strong, positive relationship between TV6 and our work in the community. And I know we’re not the only ones who feel this way. Under his leadership, TV6 has extended that same spirit of service to countless other community-focused organizations across the region—partnering in meaningful, often unique ways.”
Congratulations Rick. Somebody knows it’s not as easy as it looks.