KRLD morning drive traffic anchor Joyce Nielsen is a military kid who followed her father’s footsteps into service.
Nielsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, where her dad was a pilot in the Royal Danish Air Force. The family moved ot San Antonio, Texas when she was 5. Nielsen said she always had an interest in journalism, but could not afford to attend college.
“But fate stepped in,” she said. “I was invited for dinner to a friend’s house, and it was her Navy veteran dad who said the military had a great journalism program.”
Nielsen enlisted in the United States Navy and the military’s Defense Information School. Following graduation, she was stationed just north of Detroit, Michigan, where she worked in public affairs as a JO3 (journalist 3rd class petty officer).
“I had the honor of setting up the 75th Anniversary of Naval Aviation events, programs, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base & met then-Vice President George H.W. Bush,” she recalled. “There were so many civilian reporters waiting for the VP’s arrival in the flight office/journalist `pen,’ but when Air Force One arrived, I was the only journalist allowed on the tarmac.”
Nielsen spent a total of six years in the military – three on active duty and three in the Reserves. Following her discharge, Nielsen attended Specs Howard School of Broadcasting, where he love of radio began. I worked as an associate producer, then as a news anchor, and ultimately was offered a position as a traffic anchor for Metro Networks in 1988.
“I had worked in Detroit, Washington, D.C., and San Antonio when a former employer told me about a traffic position opening at KRLD,” she said. “I sent in a resume and was hired as the morning drive traffic anchor.”
Nielsen has worked at KRLD since 2017.
“I have been blessed to be able to work with a wonderful group of people at KRLD, and hope to continue for many years to come,” she said.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.