• Rick EllisPatch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Apple Valley-Rosemount, MN

About Rick

<b>Email: </b>rick.ellis&#64;patch.com<b><br>Phone: </b>651-261-6820<b><br>Birthday: </b>March 19th<b><br><br></b>I began my journalism career in high school, when I started contributing short columns to the local newspaper in Evansville, Ind. I also fell in love with radio and began working as a fill-in overnight dj at the local Top 40 radio station.<br><br>After high school I moved to Chicago, where I started performing in local clubs as a stand-up comedian. During the next decade, I juggled two careers. I toured across the country as a comic, while writing for a number of local newspapers and magazines, including the Chicago Tribune. As a reporter, I wrote about everything from local school board meetings to the latest entertainment trends.<br><br>In the mid-1990s, I moved to Phoenix after accepting a job as a radio talk show host. &#34;The Rick Ellis Show&#34; was later syndicated nationally by an Arizona company and was ultimately heard in nearly 30 markets across the U.S.<br><br>In 1999 I moved to San Francisco to work as a financial reporter and host for the online financial news web site ON24.com. I interviewed numerous CEOs and industry leaders and my stories were featured on a number of other web sites, including Yahoo.com.<br><br>After ON24 exited the news business in 2001, I spent several years as an independent media reporter. In 2003, my series of pieces on Phil Donahue&#39;s exit from MSNBC were voted one of the &#34;Ten Best Media Stories Of The Year.&#34; Those stories were also mentioned in publications including Vanity Fair and The Nation.<br><br>In 2004, I began working for Internet Broadcasting, a Twin Cities-based company that manages the web sites for more than 70 TV stations nationwide. I was the managing editor for NBC13.com in Birmingham, Alabama for three years, and later moved to Minnesota to join the company&#39;s national news staff.<br><br>Since 2008, I have run his own television and media-oriented web site, AllYourTV.com. I have also written numerous freelance pieces for other publications. <br><br>I am a resident of Rosemount. I have been married to wife Stephanie for ten years and have a six-year-old son who attends a District 196 school. He was recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.<b><br><br>Politics:<br></b>If you ask journalists about their politics, you generally hear one of two answers. If the journalist is conservative, they&#39;ll describe themselves as a &#34;libertarian.&#34; Most liberal journalists will describe themselves as &#34;slightly left of center.&#34;

I&#39;m probably best described as a true independent. I tend to lean a bit left nationally, but in state and local politics, I&#39;m much more concerned with the individual than with their political persuasion. <br><br>I&#39;ve covered a lot of local politics over my career, and I don&#39;t think I&#39;ve ever had anyone claim I was biased one way or the way. Which in my mind is the best approach for a journalist.<b><br></b><br>I haven&#39;t been politically active in Minnesota politics, other than making sure that I know enough to vote rationally and for the person who best matches my beliefs.<b><br></b><b><br></b>

Posting Activity

Apple Valley-Rosemount|News|

Rosemount Pet of the Week: Bianco

Check out one of the pets available for adoption from Rosemount&#39;s Amazing Animal Advocates.

Rosemount Pet of the Week: Bianco
Apple Valley-Rosemount|News|

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas

We have a few suggestions to help ease the lives of those of you surprised by the arrival of Valentine&#39;s Day.

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas
Apple Valley-Rosemount|News|

Rosemount Whiz Kid: Jerrod Nygren

This week&#39;s whiz kid solicited donations to help provide reading materials to other local children.

Rosemount Whiz Kid: Jerrod Nygren
Apple Valley-Rosemount|News|

Mom's Talk: How Do You Keep The Romance Alive?

In our first installment of Moms Talk on Rosemount Patch, we asked some local moms how they keep the romance alive in their busy lives.

Mom's Talk: How Do You Keep The Romance Alive?