Johnny Rowlands Biography
Johnny Rowlands is an American Reporter/Pilot working for KMBC 9 News where he serves the station as a Helicopter Pilot Reporter and Morning traffic reporter. Asides from this, he is also the Chief Pilot for KMBC NewsChopper 9.
Johnny Rowlands Education
He is a proud graduate of Baker University where he obtained a Degree in Communications with a Minor in Journalism. Asides from this, he was also a Special Instructor in the Broadcasting Department in the early 1980s.
Johnny Rowlands Career
Rowlands works with KMBC 9 News serving the station as a Chief Pilot and Traffic Reporter. His Reports can be seen on weekday Mornings on “FirstNews” between 5-7 AM and on KCWE weekdays from 7-9 AM. Asides from this, he also covers breaking news stories on the 5 and 6 PM News on Channel 9.
He also served as a radio disc jockey in the mid-1970s and also kick-started his television career on Channel 9 in the late ’70s as a co-host of the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. Asides from this, he was also a member of the original “FirstNews” team in the late ’80s as a Kansas City Television Airborne Traffic Reporter. There, he was piloting his Cessna over the Kansas City morning rush hour.
The year 2003 saw him take over the controls of NewsChopper 9 and since then, he has been providing up-to-the-minute traffic information getting commuters around the traffic trouble spots and drive-time delays. Being one of the few television helicopter pilots, who is also an on-camera reporter, he brings a unique perspective to Channel 9’s coverage.
Asides from this, he has also captured spectacular videos of some of Kansas City’s biggest stories. Asides from this, his airborne video of the house that exploded on the South side during a police shootout was broadcast by news outlets around the world. He also states that a still frame was included in a Readers Digest story detailing the incident.
He not only covers breaking news stories but also aided law enforcement and firefighters in various emergencies. His most notable story is the one he guided Merriam, Kansas firefighters to two teenagers trapped on the roof of a burning apartment building. Asides from this, he also assisted police officers in the rescue of an elderly couple trapped in the home from the rising waters of Lake Annette in Cass County.
He states that his most compelling story, however, is when severe weather strikes. This is when he can be found in the air-tracking storms as they approach the Kansas City metro. Being an avid weather enthusiast, he has also pioneered cutting-edge tracking of supercells and tornadoes from NewsChopper 9.
He happens to be an award-winning video and live “play by play” of the 4th of May 2003 tornado that ravaged Wyandotte County, Liberty ad Gladstone. During that time, he gave Channel 9 viewers unprecedented advantage warning and he was credited by meteorologists and emergency personnel for saving countless lives. In less than a week, his repeat performance and 30-minute warning again played a part in helping people avoid injury from a tornado that struck Lawrence, Kansas on the 8th of May 2003.
Asides from this, he has also tracked the 29th May 2004 tornado which he caught up with a supercell near Dearborn, Mo. For the first time in history, he videotaped the entire life cycle of a tornado, from the initial wall cloud to the “roping out” as the tornado dissipated. Asides from this, his coverage also represented another first: The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for the Dearborn area based on the live video Johnny was sending back to Channel 9 as part of the station’s storm coverage.
He is now covering traffic, news, and weather throughout. Every spring, he takes the show on the road and lands NewsChpper 9 at dozens of elementary schools, showing highlights of his tornado coverage and giving safety tips on how to survive a tornado. For the past three years, he has delivered his safety message to nearly 30,000 schoolchildren in the greater Channel 9 viewing area.
Away from work, he enjoys cycling, flying, scuba diving, and hitting the gym. He states that he has a Mooney TLS single-engine airplane that he and his family use for weekend trips to various Midwest getaways and distance flying across the country. Asides from this, he has also been honored to be a member of the KMBC News Team and is especially proud to be a part of KMBC’s Award Winning severe weather coverage.
Johnny Rowlands Age
Rowlands was born in Prairie Valley, Kansas, United States. He likes to keep his personal life private and hence has not yet disclosed the year and month he was born. It is therefore not known when he celebrates her birthday. However, he might be in his 70s.
Johnny Rowlands Height
He stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 7 inches.
Johnny Rowlands Family
Rowlands was born and raised in Prairie Valley, Kansas, United States. His father died in the year 1999 due to a cardiovascular breakdown. He, however, manages to keep information in regard to his mother and whether he has any siblings away from the limelight. We will update this information once more information is available to the public.
Johnny Rowlands Wife
Rowlands is married to his beautiful wife, Angela Engle. Together, the duo is proud parents to their two kids, a son, and a boy. His first child with Engle is his daughter, Harriet Rose who was born on the 10th of October 2018 weighing 6 pounds. His daughter was named after her grandmother. He, had, however, gotten a son named Blake from his first marriage. Blake happens to be an airline captain flying CRJ900 twin-engine jets for American eagle, the commuter provider for American Airlines.
Johnny Rowlands Net Worth
Rowlands has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million which he/she has earned from his successful career as a Reporter/Pilot.
Johnny Rowlands Salary
Rowlands earns an annual salary ranging between $40,000 – $ 110,500.
Johnny Rowlands KMBC 9 News
Rowlands works at KMBC 9 News where he works alongside other famous KMBC 9 News anchors, reporters, meteorologists, and sports anchors including;
- Danielle Grant
- Pete Grigsby
- Neville Miller
- Bryan Busby
- Katie Horner
- Nick Bender
- Karen Kornacki
- Len Jennings
- Len Dawson
- Donna Pitman
- Kris Ketz
- Emily Holwick
- Kelly Eckerman
- Cody Holyoke
- Larry Moore
- Brian Johnson
- Martin Augustine
- Rob Hughes