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Kim Christiansen (American Journalist)
Kim Christiansen’s age of 64 tells only part of the story of one of Colorado’s most recognized and enduring broadcast journalists. Born on November 27, 1960, in Arvada, Colorado, she has spent more than four decades behind the anchor desk at KUSA 9NEWS in Denver — a career built not on overnight success, but on persistence, craft, and an unwavering commitment to her community.
Christiansen did not walk straight into the spotlight. She started at 9NEWS as a writer and associate producer, working behind the scenes long before she ever sat in front of a camera. That willingness to earn her place, step by step, defines the kind of journalist she became. Today, she anchors the 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. newscasts — the most prominent broadcasts at one of Denver’s leading television stations.
Her credentials speak for themselves. A nine-time Emmy Award winner, she has been recognized for excellence in spot news, news writing, and news reporting. Before journalism, she made history as Miss Colorado in 1980, winning a special talent award at the Miss America Scholarship pageant. She later earned her journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the same institution her son would one day attend.
Off camera, she is married to aviation safety expert Gregory Allen Feith and is a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness through the Buddy Check9 program — a cause made personal by her sister Keri’s diagnosis.
| Full Name | Kim Christiansen |
| Date of Birth | November 27, 1960 |
| Place of Birth | Arvada, Colorado, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Journalist, News Anchor, Reporter |
| Employer | KUSA 9NEWS, Denver, Colorado (NBC Affiliate) |
| Education | B.A. in Journalism, University of Colorado at Boulder |
| Career Start | KUSA 9NEWS, Denver — Writer and Associate Producer, 6 a.m. News (1985) |
| Current Role | Lead News Anchor — 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. Newscasts, KUSA 9NEWS Denver |
| Notable Coverage | Four decades of Colorado and national news coverage; Lead anchor since 2017; Denver International Airport voice announcements since 2018 |
| Marital Status | Married to Gregory Allen Feith (aviation safety expert; former NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator); married since approximately 1997 |
| Children | Tanner Feith (son); Master of Studies in Law, University of Colorado Law School |
| Awards | Nine-time Emmy Award Winner; Seven Heartland Regional Emmy Awards (spot news, news writing, news reporting); Special Talent Award — Miss America Scholarship Pageant |
| Estimated Net Worth | $1 million – $5 million (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Salary | Estimated $100,000 – $150,000 annually (not officially confirmed) |
| Siblings | Keri Christiansen (sister; breast cancer survivor and Buddy Check9 advocate) |
| Residence | Denver, Colorado, United States |
Who is Kim Christiansen?
Kim Christiansen is an American award-winning journalist and lead news anchor at KUSA 9NEWS in Denver, Colorado. Born on November 27, 1960, in Arvada, Colorado, she is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, a former Miss Colorado, and has worked at 9NEWS for over four decades.
Early Life and Education
Kim Christiansen is an American award-winning broadcast journalist and news anchor, born on November 27, 1960, in Arvada, Colorado. She grew up in the Denver metropolitan area and has remained connected to Colorado throughout her entire personal and professional life.
Childhood and Family Background
Christiansen was raised in Arvada alongside her sister, Keri, who is just eighteen months younger. According to multiple published profiles, the two sisters are exceptionally close — Kim has publicly described Keri as her best friend. Their father, Frank Christiansen, was born on February 26, 1934. Information about her mother has not been made publicly available.
The sisters attended the same schools growing up: Vanderhoof Elementary, Drake Junior High, and Arvada West High School. Before pursuing journalism, Christiansen was crowned Miss Colorado in 1980, winning a special talent award at the Miss America Scholarship pageant for baton twirling — a skill that first introduced her to public performance.
Educational Journey
After high school, Christiansen enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she earned a degree in Journalism. As noted in her official 9NEWS biography, her time at the university proved formative. It was there that she was mentored by former 9NEWS anchor Ed Sardella, who recognized her potential early and served as both a guide and a demanding taskmaster during her college years.
Her academic foundation in journalism, combined with early mentorship from an established broadcaster, laid the groundwork for what would become one of the longest-running careers in Denver television history.
Career
Kim Christiansen’s career at KUSA 9NEWS stands as one of the longest and most distinguished in Denver broadcast journalism. According to her official 9NEWS biography, she has worked exclusively at one station her entire professional life — a rare achievement in an industry known for frequent moves and market changes.
Christiansen did not begin her career in front of a camera. Her first role at 9NEWS was as a writer and associate producer for the 6 a.m. news — a behind-the-scenes position that required crafting stories for other anchors to deliver. She then moved to writing for the late newscasts, a role she held for several years before earning the opportunity to transition on-camera.
That transition was not handed to her. As reported by Westword, Christiansen has spoken openly about battling for each step forward, describing a career built on persistence rather than privilege. Her mentor, former 9NEWS anchor Ed Sardella, pushed her hard — even while she was still a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Her first on-camera position was as anchor of 9NEWS Saturday Morning. She later co-anchored the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. weekend newscasts alongside fellow anchor Ward Lucas. Each promotion came as a direct result of demonstrated skill and years of accumulated experience.
Current Role at 9NEWS
Currently, Kim Christiansen anchors the 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. newscasts at KUSA 9NEWS in Denver, Colorado — the station’s most prominent and most-watched broadcasts. She was named lead evening anchor following the retirement of longtime anchor Adele Arakawa in June 2017, a transition that placed her in one of the most visible roles in Colorado television.
Beyond the anchor desk, Christiansen has served as the female voice of train announcements at Denver International Airport since 2018, extending her presence in the daily lives of Colorado residents beyond the newsroom. According to her official station biography, she has remained devoted to her community throughout her career, using her platform for advocacy as much as for news delivery.
Major Achievements and Awards
Christiansen’s body of work has earned her consistent recognition from within the broadcast industry. She is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, with seven of those honors being Heartland regional Emmy Awards — awarded specifically for excellence in spot news, news writing, and news reporting.
Her achievements extend beyond journalism. As a former Miss Colorado who won a special talent award at the Miss America Scholarship pageant, she brought public poise and communication skills into a career that rewarded both. She is also a prominent spokesperson for the Buddy Check9 breast cancer awareness program, speaking to community groups across Colorado about the importance of self-examination and mammography — a cause made deeply personal by her sister Keri’s breast cancer diagnosis.
Taken together, her awards, her longevity, and her community involvement reflect a career defined by purpose as much as profession.
Kim Christiansen's Salary and Net Worth
Kim Christiansen’s salary reflects her standing as a senior anchor at a major-market NBC affiliate television station. Based on publicly available estimates, her annual earnings are believed to range between $100,000 and $150,000, factoring in her anchor role, long tenure, speaking engagements, and media appearances.
These figures are third-party estimates based on public databases and have not been officially verified.
For context, the Heartland region’s senior news anchor salaries at network-affiliated stations generally fall within this range, according to industry salary data. Christiansen’s four decades of experience, combined with her lead anchor status, place her at the higher end of local broadcast compensation in the Denver market.
Net Worth Estimate
Kim Christiansen’s estimated net worth is reported to fall between $1 million and $5 million, accumulated over a career spanning more than four decades in broadcast journalism. Her financial standing reflects not only her long-term salary at 9NEWS but also income from speaking engagements, community appearances, and her role as a public spokesperson.
Her husband, Gregory Allen Feith, is a former Senior Air Safety Investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board and currently works as an aviation expert for NBC and MSNBC News — a dual-income household that further contributes to overall financial stability.
It is worth noting that Kim Christiansen has never publicly discussed her personal finances. No property records, tax disclosures, or financial statements have been independently verified in the course of publicly available reporting.
Personal Life and Family
Despite her decades in the public eye, Kim Christiansen has maintained a notably private personal life. What is known comes largely from her own social media posts and verified published profiles — not from formal interviews or official disclosures. She is, by all accounts, a devoted wife, mother, and sister whose family relationships have quietly shaped both her advocacy work and her values on screen.
Husband — Gregory Allen Feith
Kim Christiansen is married to Gregory Allen Feith, a widely respected figure in the field of aviation safety. According to multiple published profiles, the couple has been married since approximately 1997 — a union now spanning nearly three decades.
Greg Feith built his professional reputation as a Senior Air Safety Investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, where he investigated more than 2,000 aviation accidents worldwide over the course of his federal career. His work placed him at the center of some of the most consequential aviation inquiries in modern American history. Following his time with the NTSB, he transitioned into the private sector, where he currently serves as an Aviation Safety Analyst for NBC and MSNBC News. He also instructs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, consults on aviation and security matters, and has served as a technical advisor on several television programs, including the documentary series Why Planes Crash, Seconds from Disaster, and Mayday.
Together, Christiansen and Feith represent an uncommon pairing — two professionals who have each built long, credentialed careers in high-stakes public-facing fields. Yet by most accounts, they have kept their marriage and shared life deliberately away from the spotlight. Christiansen occasionally shares photos of her husband on her Instagram account, offering glimpses of their life together without inviting prolonged public scrutiny.
Son — Tanner Feith
Kim Christiansen and Gregory Feith have one son together, named Tanner Feith. As reported across several verified published profiles, Tanner was born on January 21 — a date Christiansen has marked publicly on social media on multiple occasions with heartfelt birthday tributes.
Like both of his parents, Tanner attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, continuing a family connection to the institution that spans generations. He went on to earn a Master of Studies in Law degree from the University of Colorado Law School, a milestone his mother publicly celebrated on Instagram in the spring of his graduation.
Christiansen has been open about the pride she takes in her son’s accomplishments, describing their relationship warmly in social media posts. In one birthday tribute, she wrote of her son: “We love you to the moon and back” — a rare but telling window into a family bond she otherwise keeps private.
Sister — Keri Christiansen
No account of Kim Christiansen’s personal life is complete without mention of her sister, Keri. The two grew up just eighteen months apart in Arvada, Colorado, attending the same schools from elementary through university. Kim has publicly described Keri as her best friend — a relationship that has endured and deepened through adulthood.
Keri’s breast cancer diagnosis profoundly influenced Kim’s life beyond journalism. Following Keri’s diagnosis, Kim became an active and vocal spokesperson for the Buddy Check9 breast cancer awareness program, speaking to community groups across Colorado about the critical importance of self-examination and early mammography screening. What began as a personal response to a family crisis became one of the defining causes of Christiansen’s public life.
As reported in profiles published by local Colorado outlets, Keri has also participated in the Buddy Check9 program directly, transforming her own health experience into a platform for broader community awareness. The sisters’ shared commitment to the cause reflects a bond that extends well beyond family into genuine public service.
Family Dog — Bandit
In keeping with her measured but warm social media presence, Christiansen has also introduced her followers to the family dog, Bandit. She has posted about Bandit on Instagram on occasions including National Dog Day, describing him as a source of daily happiness for the family. It is a small detail — but one that rounds out the portrait of a private family life lived with warmth and humor behind the public-facing career.
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Kim Christiansen
Key questions answered about the 9NEWS Denver anchor and her public life
Born on November 27, 1960, in Arvada, Colorado, she began her career at 9NEWS as a writer and associate producer before working her way to the anchor desk. She is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, a former Miss Colorado, and a prominent advocate for breast cancer awareness through the Buddy Check9 program.
She celebrates her birthday every year on November 27. Born and raised in Arvada, Colorado, she has spent her entire professional career in her home state, becoming one of Denver's most recognized and longest-serving broadcast journalists.
The couple has been married since approximately 1997. Greg Feith investigated more than 2,000 aviation accidents worldwide during his federal career. He also instructs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and has served as a technical advisor on television programs including Why Planes Crash, Seconds from Disaster, and Mayday.
Tanner attended the University of Colorado at Boulder — the same institution as both of his parents — and went on to earn a Master of Studies in Law degree from the University of Colorado Law School. Christiansen has celebrated his milestones publicly on her Instagram account on multiple occasions.
The title came before her journalism career began. Five years after winning Miss Colorado, she earned her journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and joined 9NEWS — where she has remained ever since.
This estimate is based on her four-decade career as a lead anchor at a major-market NBC affiliate, combined with income from speaking engagements and community appearances. The figure has not been officially confirmed by Kim Christiansen or KUSA 9NEWS and should be treated as a third-party approximation only.
Before university, she attended Vanderhoof Elementary, Drake Junior High, and Arvada West High School — all in Arvada, Colorado. During her time at the University of Colorado, she was mentored by former 9NEWS anchor Ed Sardella, who played a significant role in shaping her early career path.
Based on third-party industry estimates for senior anchors at major-market NBC affiliate stations, her annual salary is believed to range between $100,000 and $150,000. This figure is an approximation only and has not been officially confirmed by Kim Christiansen or KUSA 9NEWS.
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