Summer is a time best spent lounging, soaking up the sun and catching up with friends old and new alike. So, with that in mind, we called up a guy well known throughout the Stateline to shoot the breeze with.
Derek Bayne has been with 13 WREX-TV in Rockford for nearly 15 years. Bayne started out in sports — which he will tell you he still loves — and then began anchoring news during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bayne was offered the full-time news anchor chair after serving as a substitute anchor and eventually decided, after initially turning the offer down, that he would relish the opportunity to dive into daily news coverage. (Don't worry, folks — he still covers sports, too.)
We discussed his early career (heads up broadcasting hopefuls, the pay is not the best to start), and how Bayne was able to find a job in North Carolina covering sports.
From there, he moved to Rockford, and the rest is history.
Some career highlights for Bayne include covering the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series championship, a celebration for Rockford native Fred VanVleet's 2019 NBA Championship at Rockford City Market and numerous high school state championship and playoff teams throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
Bayne and I also chatted about his signature segment, "Destination Downtown." The piece began as a way to highlight local businesses and communities following the economic downturn caused by the pandemic and has grown in popularity ever since.
We also discussed the ever-changing media landscape in 2026 and how Bayne believes television will continue to evolve to meet changing viewing habits.
Our conversation ended with Bayne emphasizing the importance of local news that focuses on facts. (We can't argue with that — we're an NPR affiliate, after all.)
Listen to the full conversation with WREX-TV's Derek Bayne in the link above.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
