KARE 11 is moving Jana Shortal’s long-running show “Breaking the News” to streaming only, ending its broadcast run on local television after more than a decade on air. The NBC affiliate announced the shift on September 23, 2026, with the final on-air episode airing Friday and the streaming premiere set for October 5 on the station’s mobile apps and streaming platform.

Shortal, who has become one of Minnesota’s most recognizable television journalists, confirmed the transition in a video posted to Instagram. “This work will continue,” she said. “I am so proud of the show we were able to produce with the team who did it for one reason and that was you. We laughed and cried together and we covered some of the most consequential events in Minnesota history. It has been the honor of my career to do this show on this station with you and I hope you’ll come with us.”

The move represents a significant shift in how the station distributes the program as streaming platforms increasingly compete with traditional broadcast television. KARE 11 will fill the vacant time slot by expanding “KARE 11 News at 6” to a full hour beginning Monday.

From Local Reporter To On-Air Presence

Shortal joined KARE as a general assignment reporter in late 2003. Three years later, the station launched “Breaking the News” at 6:30 p.m., initially with anchor and reporter Rena Sarigianopoulos serving as co-anchor with Shortal. The station originally described the show as “a new way to look at the stories that you care about. No fires or car crashes, just stories that you are talking about through social media, over the water cooler, with your friends.”

Shortal’s profile rose significantly just months after the show debuted when former Star Tribune gossip columnist Cheryl “C.J.” Johnson criticized her for wearing skinny jeans while reporting on a Jacob Wetterling case update. Star Tribune editors removed the column from the newspaper’s website, but the story gained national attention from outlets including Today, CNN, and the Huffington Post. News organizations in the United Kingdom and Australia also covered the story.

The overwhelmingly supportive response helped reshape how Shortal approached her career. “It started a conversation that needed to happen,” Shortal told the Pioneer Press in 2021. “It’s about how people get treated, women, trans women, people of color, everyone who is not in the majority. This was me becoming myself. I had to stop lying to myself, stop lying to everybody else and be me. It’s so strange to me that it took someone else coming after me to realize that. There was no going back.”

The Streaming Shift And Local Television’s Evolution

The transition to streaming reflects broader changes in how local news reaches audiences. As viewers increasingly consume content through apps and digital platforms rather than scheduled broadcasts, stations must adapt their distribution strategies to remain competitive and accessible.

Cellphone, smartphone, vpn, and streaming
Cellphone, smartphone, vpn, and streaming. Illustrative stock photo via Pixabay.

“Breaking the News” debuted in 2006 and maintained a consistent presence on KARE 11’s schedule for more than two decades. The program built an audience interested in news stories beyond traditional breaking events, focusing instead on narratives resonating through social conversation and community discussion.

For longtime viewers accustomed to catching the show at its regular 6:30 p.m. time slot, the shift to streaming requires finding the program through the station’s apps or digital platforms. Shortal’s assurance that “this work will continue” suggests the show’s editorial mission remains unchanged, even as its delivery method transforms.

The decision leaves questions about the broader role of streaming in local news distribution and whether traditional broadcast slots will continue to shrink as stations prioritize digital-first strategies.