Pittsburgh Radio: Paul Alexnder Joins KDKA As PM Drive News Anchor

Wednesday was Melinda Roeder’s last day as KDKA Radio’s afternoon news anchor before oving on to become news director at WTAJ-TV in Altoona-Johnstown.

She told the Post-Gazette in an interview earlier this week that she didn’t know who would be replacing her but hoped that “whoever takes over my microphone truly appreciates the position.”

Roeder got her wish Thursday when KDKA Radio owner Audacy Pittsburgh announced that Paul Alexander, who has worked on and off at both KDKA-TV and KDKA Radio in various capacities for the last 25 years, will take over afternoon anchoring duties in the neWest Deer native Melinda Roeder during her time working at WGCL-TV in Atlanta.

Paul Alexander

His first day at KDKA Radio in that role will be Aug. 28.

The 62-year-old Forest Hills native was barely a month into his new gig as a public information officer in the Allegheny County executive’s office’s economic development department before he was lured back to his old stomping grounds at KDKA Radio.

Enticing him to step into the station’s afternoon anchor chair was a best-case scenario for Michael Spacciapolli, Audacy Pittsburgh’s senior vice president and market manager. He said to expect Alexander to pop up throughout Audacy Pittsburgh’s programming slate, including back at The Fan and on other KDKA Radio shows.

“Paul will have a very positive influence on the newsroom,” Spacciapolli said. “Through his time in this business, this is a great fit for him right now with the sources he has and his depth of knowledge of the city. It’s a great fit for us and the listeners to really add some personality to our news.”

Alexander's first TV job happened to be at WTAJ, and that experience eventually helped Alexander land a coveted spot as a morning news anchor at KDKA-TV in 1998. He also began doing sports coverage for KDKA and, in 2001, got his own sports talk show on KDKA Radio.

In 2005, KDKA Radio “got rid of me and the Pirates,” as Alexander put it. He soon ended up at FSN Pittsburgh, which is now known as AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Alexander became the first morning show host at 93.7 The Fan in 2010 before being let go in 2013. He continued working part-time at AT&T SportsNet and as a weekend host at The Fan before taking over as KDKA Radio’s full-time traffic reporter following Scott Stiller’s departure.