Jim Mertens

Anchor

Jim and Julie Sisk co-anchor our full morning coverage on "Good Morning Quad Cities" and the one-hour midday broadcast, "News 8 at 11".

Jim, Julie, and meteorologist James Zahara have been together on "Good Morning Quad Cities" since 2006.

Before coming to mornings, Jim was the anchor and producer of "News 8 at 6:30" and a reporter for "News 8 at 10". He's also anchored the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, the weekend broadcasts, and was a reporter on the streets when he joined the WQAD News 8 team in 1995.

Jim is also the host of "The Cities", a weekly half-hour public affairs program seen on WQPT-TV, the Quad Cities PBS station.

Before coming to the Quad Cities, Jim worked at WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo, Michigan as an anchor and reporter for six years. Prior to that, Jim was an anchor and reporter for seven years at WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

He got his start in radio in 1978 at WFON-FM in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He later joined WAXX/WAYY Radio Stations in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he would start as an overnight Country music announcer before working in the station's radio news department as a reporter and anchor.

Jim is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire School of Journalism. He's received numerous reporting awards from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. His long-form reporting earned him first place awards with the Iowa Associated Press, the Iowa Broadcast News Association, and the Illinois News Broadcasters Association.

Jim has been president of the Iowa Broadcast News Association (www.ibna.org) and is a past president of the Northwest Broadcast News Association (www.nbna.info), an organization serving broadcast journalists in six Midwestern states.

Recent Articles

  • Dixon Teachers Strike Ends

    Posted on: 4:58 am, March 13, 2013, by , updated on: 08:21am, March 13, 2013

    Students return to class in Dixon after a tentative agreement was reached between teachers and the school district.
    Read More ›

    DixonStrike
  • Chef Scott: Polynesian Porterhouse Pork Chop

    Posted on: 11:41 am, March 7, 2013, by , updated on: 11:45am, March 7, 2013

    Chef Brad Scott makes a huge stuffed Porterhouse Pork Chop and shares his favorite marinade that's easy to make
    Read More ›

  • Grassley Says No to Tax Increase Solution

    Posted on: 9:33 am, February 28, 2013, by , updated on: 09:34am, February 28, 2013

    Iowa Rep. Sen. Charles Grassley says he won't agree to a tax hike as part of a solution to end threatened sequestration cuts
    Read More ›

  • Pay It Forward: Quad City Volunteer Helps Haitian People

    Posted on: 9:18 am, February 28, 2013, by

    Quad City volunteer heading to Haiti gets $300 in Ascentra Credit Union/ News 8's "Pay It Forward" program
    Read More ›

  • Vatican Annouces Pope to Resign

    Posted on: 5:35 am, February 11, 2013, by , updated on: 08:14am, February 11, 2013

    Pope Benedict XVI to step down at the end of the month
    Read More ›

    POPE
  • Chef Brad Scott: Lobster Rigatoni

    Posted on: 8:52 am, February 7, 2013, by

    Make a lobster dinner go further for less and still have an elegant Valentine's Day meal
    Read More ›

  • Bitter Cold Hits Quad Cities

    Posted on: 9:12 am, February 1, 2013, by , updated on: 09:13am, February 1, 2013

    GMQC tests some "Winter Experiments" as wind chills of -22 degrees are seen in the Quad Cities
    Read More ›

    bitter cold
  • Chef Scott: Winter Ribs for the Game

    Posted on: 11:27 am, January 31, 2013, by

    Chef Brad Scott says you can make ribs without spending a lot of time outside at the grill
    Read More ›

  • Chef Scott: Giving Leftovers a Wrap

    Posted on: 10:50 am, January 24, 2013, by , updated on: 08:04am, January 29, 2013

    Chef Brad Scott says it's time to transform some simple leftovers into Sirloin Wraps
    Read More ›

  • Chef Scott: Remember Al’s Lounge “Wine Burger”?

    Posted on: 12:13 pm, January 17, 2013, by

    Chef Scott recreates the taste of the Wine Burger from the long closed Al's Lounge in Davenport
    Read More ›

  • Ag in the AM: Vilsack Stays at USDA

    Posted on: 8:48 am, January 15, 2013, by

    Former Iowa Governor to remain as USDA Secretary in Obama Administration
    Read More ›

    Vilsack
  • Chef Scott: Salmon Patties with Cream Peas and New Potatoes

    Posted on: 12:12 pm, January 10, 2013, by

    Chef Scott makes for us a favorite childhood memory that your family will love
    Read More ›