Mark Kiesling Email & Phone Number

Mark is the former senior anchor at WSIL.He spent 39 years on-air at WSIL as a sports anchor and news anchor. Overall, he worked at WSIL for more than 41 years.Mark was in college when he began his career at WSIL in 1981 as a master control operator. He soon became involved in production voice-overs and various “behind-the-scenes” news positions.By April of 1983, Mark had worked his way into the role of Sports Director, a position he held for the next 16 and a-half years.During his time as Sports Director, Mark launched Sports Extra, a Friday night high school sports highlight show that continues to this day, more than 35 years later. He also hosted the Southern Illinois University basketball and football coaches shows. Mark earned the prestigious Merle Jones Award for Outstanding Sports Journalism; an award voted on annually by local coaches.Mark left WSIL-TV in September, 1999 to join Southern Illinois Fellowship of Christian Athletes as an Area Representative. For nearly three years, Mark served southern Illinois coaches and athletes in a ministerial role before returning to WSIL in June of 2002.Mark started his second stint at WSIL, in news promotions and as a feature reporter and fill-in anchor. When WSIL expanded its morning news, in 2004, Mark moved into the role of morning news anchor. Later that year, he moved to the position of 5:00 evening news anchor while still heading news promotions and special projects. During this time, Mark helped launch three new websites for WSIL as Director of Digital Operations, earning three Illinois Broadcasters Association awards for “Best Medium Market Website.”Mark was part of the team that won three straight Illinois Broadcasters Association “Station of the Year” Awards (2010-2012) and Associated Press “Best Newscast” and “Outstanding News Operation” awards in 2011 and 2012.In 2018 and 2019, Mark transitioned into a full-time News Anchor role, anchoring all four evening newscasts at 5:00, 6:00, 6:30 and 10:00 while also serving as a coach and mentor to younger staff members.In October, 2021, Mark was named Acting News Director at WSIL, overseeing daily operations and maintaining his role as news anchor while the station conducted a search for a new News Director. During this time, Mark coordinated coverage of the devastating tornadoes in Western Kentucky leading to a Missouri Broadcasters Association Award for best “Breaking Weather Coverage Event.”

Listed skills include Broadcasting, Television, Journalism, and Radio.

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  John A. Logan College