Keith Bleyer

Sports Director, NewsChannel 21

Keith is a Pacific Northwest native, born and raised in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Wash., and he's thrilled to be living and working in his 'other' home town of Bend! Bleyer's family made numerous trips south to Central Oregon during his youth, to ski in the winter at Mt. Bachelor and spend time in the summer at Sunriver.

A sports broadcasting career of over two decades has taken Keith on a round trip around the country. After sports broadcasting jobs at local television stations in Plattsburgh, New York, Wausau, Wisconsin (where he met his now wife Kelly) and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bleyer landed a job in 1999 at Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain in Denver, where he worked as the pre-game show host for Colorado Rockies (Major League Baseball) telecasts and served as an anchor and play-by-play announcer for multiple sports and events.

A hobby of Keith's, coaching youth soccer, has actually become a second career. After playing for the Under 16 USA Youth National Team in the mid-eighties and going on to NCAA Division 1 soccer at Santa Clara (CA) University (1991 graduate with a B.A. in Communications), Bleyer began coaching the game in Colorado and now holds a US Soccer National 'A' Coaching License.

In 2007, Bleyer brought his family, wife Kelly and twins Lauren and Evan, home to Bend for a pair of professional opportunities. He worked for over two years as the Sports Director at KOHD TV, the ABC affiliate in Bend, and is still the Developmental Director of Coaching and Central Oregon Soccer League Director for the Oregon Rush Soccer Club.

In 2011, Keith added the role of sideline reporter for Major League Soccer telecasts on Fox Soccer Channel and will cover regional MLS sides such as the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.

Bleyer's wife Kelly works as a news anchor and reporter for Combined Communications in Bend, owners of multiple radio stations including KTVZ partner News/Talk 1100 KBND. Keith's parents also live in Bend.

In what little spare time he has, Bleyer is an avid runner who has competed in many local races and charity events.

You can reach Keith at kbleyer@ktvz.com.