Lars Larson

Lars Kristopher Larson (born March 6, 1959) is an American conservative talk radio show host based in Portland, Oregon. Larson worked in television and radio news from the 1970s to 1990s and has hosted The Lars Larson Show from flagship station KXL in Portland since 1997. Two versions of the show exist: the Northwest show airs from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Pacific) and discussing Pacific Northwest issues. The Northwest show is syndicated on the Radio Northwest Network which is owned and operated by Alpha Media. The nationally syndicated program airs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Pacific) and discusses national issues. The national show is syndicated by Compass Media Networks.

Early life Larson was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His father served in the United States Navy, and when he began a career in forestry, the Larson family lived in Montana, California (Happy Camp, Somes Bar, and Dorris), and Klamath Falls, Oregon, before settling in Tillamook, Oregon, when Lars was a teenager. He graduated from Tillamook High School in 1977, where he was on the speech and debate team. He later became an announcer at Eugene-based KWAX. From 1977-1979, Larson attended the University of Oregon in Eugene, but quit "after just a year to work in radio and television".

In 1980, Larson moved to Portland, Oregon, and KXL where he did the afternoon news. In 1983, he moved back to Eugene and was a reporter and eventually anchor for KVAL-TV. In 1985, Larson moved back to Portland, when he was hired by KPTV as a reporter for The 10 O'Clock News. Previously, since at least 1990, KPTV had aired documentaries or investigative stories under the name "Northwest Reports with Lars Larson" as segments within regular newscasts but focused on the Portland area and the Northwest. The program won a regional Emmy Award for a story that exposed careless handling of customers' private financial information by certain local banks. which aired from noon to 4 p.m. Continuing as news anchor at KPTV, Larson left the station in November 1998 "after months of pressure from station management over his other role as an outspoken radio talk-show host" on KXL. KPTV management viewed his radio talk-show role as a conflict of interest with his role as a news anchor.

On January 31, 2000, The Lars Larson Show began airing on nine radio stations via "The Radio Northwest Network". On August 14, 2003, Larson was hired by Westwood One Radio Network to host his own show for national syndication. The Lars Larson Show officially debuted on Westwood One on September 1, 2003, with 105 affiliates and grew to 175 affiliates.

On March 19, 2009, Westwood One canceled The Lars Larson Show. Larson's national network show re-launched on newly-formed Compass Media Networks on March 30, 2009. In 2015 the show was picked up by Sinclair Broadcast Group's Seattle radio outlet KVI-AM (Talk Radio 570). With the addition of Seattle, the show aired on 18 stations in the Pacific Northwest through the Radio Northwest Network. In December 2022 Compass Media Networks a multi-year extension, continuing to serve as the "exclusive home" of The Lars Larson Show for national syndication, then heard in 130 markets.

Personal life In the early 1990s, Larson was married to Debb Janes, a Portland radio personality. Larson has one sister, Patty Schild, of Sisters, Oregon. and he ranked 14th in 2024.