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Local radio personality Lance Newman dies in a Great Falls hospital

A local broadcaster's voice has been silenced.

Lance Newman, 48, died Saturday at a Great Falls hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for artery complications since early last week.

Newman began broadcasting in February 1997 for New Media Broadcasters KOJM-AM and KPQX-FM in Havre and KRYK-FM in Chinook.

"He did a great job, I thought," Scott Young, owner of Norman's Ranchwear, said today. "He was very clear and you could understand him."

Newman's main time slot was the morning show on KPQX, New Media's country western music station. "Lance in the morning, and the afternoon," he called himself on the air.

The first position Newman held was broadcasting on KOJM in the afternoons, before he took the morning KPQX shift. Newman continued to cover some shifts on KOJM as well as recording commercials and doing live remote broadcasts in the community.

"He was the really big guy with the really big heart," said his brother, Kent Newman of Puyallup, Wash.

Lance graduated from Billings West High School in 1972 and received a degree from Montana State University in Bozeman in 1976, his brother said. He did some radio broadcasting while going to school in Bozeman, then worked as a television broadcaster in Billings until 1980.

The next 17 years he worked in Arizona, doing radio work in Phoenix and Paige.

Lance was heavily involved in theater until he moved to Arizona, Kent said.

"He used to drop into roles he had done," he said. "He cracked me up."

Barb Miller, a licensed practical nurse with the Hill County Health Department, said she listened to him every morning.

"He seemed like he was organized. He got the message out whatever he was talking about," she said.

Lance was involved in area events, including hosting the annual Christmas tree lighting at Thanksgiving.

He loved sports, Kent said, and the Arizona Cardinals was his favorite team.

"He especially loved football," Kent said. "He loved the outdoors as well."

A family cabin on the Boulder River near Big Timber was one of Lance's favorite places to go, Kent said.

Lance is survived by his parents, Ken and Beverly Newman, as well as his brother.

 

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