Frank Lenzi

KIRO News Director

Frank Lenzi

News Director KIRO Radio

About

Frank Lenzi runs the newsroom at KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. He has spent nearly two decades covering the people, politics, and problems of the Puget Sound region. He came to Seattle from Portland, Oregon in 2008 and never left. Frank’s reporting is shaped by a belief that local journalism should be useful — that a story should tell you something you didn’t know, about a place you care about, from someone willing to dig. That belief was forged in part by personal loss: his brother, Maj. Gregory L. Stone, was killed serving with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division during the Iraq War. Telling Gregg’s story — and the stories of others like him — remains the work Frank is most proud of. He is also unreasonably passionate about Depeche Mode, AC/DC, and the career of Roger Federer.

Expertise

  • Journalism
  • Radio and Web Reporting
  • Radio News Anchoring

Experience

News Director, KIRO Newsradio (December 2024 – Present)

  • Leads the KIRO Newsradio team with a focus on excellence in journalism and storytelling

Program Director/News Director, KOMO Radio (now KNWN)

  • Held roles including Morning Editor, Managing Editor, News Director, and Program Director

Managing Editor/Reporter/Anchor, AM 860 KPAM

  • Progressed from Morning Editor to Managing Editor at Portland’s news talk station

Newsroom Staff, 1190 KEX Portland

  • First commercial radio job in Portland’s heritage station newsroom

High School Radio (1991)

  • Began radio career at age 15 on a high school station

Education

Bachelor of Arts, University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, 1997

Certifications

Achievements & Awards

  • Led teams at KPAM and KOMO Radio that won multiple awards for breaking news, best newscast, and overall excellence

Social Media Profiles

New Washington law says landlords can’t ban portable AC units

A new Washington law took effect June 11, prohibiting landlords from banning or restricting portable AC units in rental properties.
2 months ago

Council approves 9.5% Seattle City Light rate hikes, puts transit tax on November ballot

Seattle City Light customers are about to see their monthly electricity bills go up.
2 months ago

PSE Flex program faces first real test as heat hits Puget Sound

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is about to put its new Flex program to the test for the first time, and Tuesday's heat is the trigger.
2 months ago

Jimothy the Raccoon to be honored with official Seattle City Proclamation in Ballard

Jimothy the Raccoon — Seattle's "newest local icon" — will soon be honored with an official City Proclamation in Ballard.
2 months ago

Bullet fired through Bremerton apartment wall; Kitsap County deputies investigate

Kitsap County deputies are investigating after a bullet was fired through the wall of an apartment complex in unincorporated Bremerton over the weekend.
2 months ago

4-year-old girl found safe after Kennewick Amber Alert, suspect still at large

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) located a young child Saturday evening after she went missing from Kennewick, prompting an Amber Alert.
2 months ago

WSDOT spends $17M a year cleaning up highway litter — now Jimothy the raccoon has a message for you

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said highway litter is gross to look at and bad for the environment.
2 months ago

Car crashes into Hungry Dawgs Diner in Bonney Lake; 2 hospitalized with minor injuries

A car smashed into the Hungry Dawgs Diner in Bonney Lake Thursday morning, sending two people to the hospital with minor injuries.
2 months ago

‘That person probably could have died’: King County Jail inmates are turning tablets into weapons, corrections guild warns

Some King County jail inmates are turning the tablets issued to them into weapons, the King County Corrections Guild told KIRO Newsradio.
2 months ago

Metro bus shooting suspect faces life in prison as three-strike offender

A Seattle man charged with shooting a passenger on a King County Metro bus could face life in prison as a three-strike offender.
2 months ago

More than 30% of WA school districts have no cell phone policy as Reykdal pushes statewide ban

More than 30% of Washington schools have no restrictions on student cell phone use, raising concerns among educators and parents.
2 months ago

Tacoma Police arrest suspect in 2024 homicide near Emerald Queen Casino

Tacoma police have arrested a man in connection with a 2024 homicide near I-5 and the Emerald Queen Casino.
2 months ago

2 suspects sought after man viciously attacked at Parkland apartment complex on July 4

Pierce County deputies are searching for two suspects who viciously beat a 37-year-old man at a Parkland apartment complex on July 4.
2 months ago

‘It was cartoonish’: Federal Way mayor shares how city slashed car theft 80% in three years

Car thefts in Federal Way have plummeted 80% since 2023, a decline Mayor Jim Ferrell ties directly to reinstated police pursuits.
2 months ago

Wanted man jumps nine stories to his death during SWAT standoff in Seattle

A man wanted by King County authorities jumped nine stories to his death Thursday night in Seattle during a SWAT standoff at an apartment building near Spring Street and 8th Avenue.
2 months ago

Pierce County Sheriff: Homicide ‘suspect was shot and killed by police in Seaside, Oregon’

The man wanted in connection with two Pierce County homicides was shot and killed by police in Seaside, Oregon, Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank announced on X Wednesday night.
2 months ago

Seattle surveillance cameras shut off after FIFA World Cup — privacy audit coming this fall

Seattle shuts off Stadium District surveillance cameras after the FIFA World Cup.
3 months ago

Man sentenced to 73 years for killing 1, wounding 2 at Kent gas station in 2021

A King County judge has sentenced Joseph Dixon to 73 years in prison for a deadly 2021 shooting at a Kent Circle K.
3 months ago

Seattle man gets 18 months in prison for groping woman on airplane

A Seattle man faces up to two years in prison after being convicted of groping a 19‑year‑old woman on an airplane.
3 months ago

‘Human dumping ground’: CID business owners say World Cup crowds bypass neighborhood as sales drop 22%

CID business owners say the World Cup is hurting their Seattle neighborhood. One advocate says Mayor Wilson has turned the CID into a 'human dumping ground.
3 months ago

Drive-by shooting on SR 509 near Cloverdale leaves bullet hole in truck; WSP seeks red Jeep

A drive-by shooting on SR 509 near Cloverdale on Monday evening that left a bullet hole in the victim's truck is currently under investigation.
3 months ago

No charges in death of WSP Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting, struck by two vehicles on SR 509

No charges will be filed in the death of Washington State Trooper (WSP) Tara-Marysa Guting, 29, who was struck by two vehicles while investigating a crash on the State Route 509 on-ramp at Port of Tacoma Road last December.
3 months ago

Lynnwood mayor vows to ‘do more’ after shooting leaves teen in ICU

Lynnwood mayor addresses community concerns after a shooting leaves a teenager in ICU, pledging to enhance safety measures.
3 months ago

Pregnant woman bitten by 2 large dogs in Tacoma

A pregnant woman is in stable condition after being knocked down and bitten by two large dogs in Tacoma on Thursday morning.
3 months ago