News Channel 3’s Karen Devine to receive star on Palm Springs Walk of the Stars
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - After years of service and covering news in the Coachella Valley for over three decades, the city of Palm Springs is honoring our own Karen Devine with a star on the "Palm Springs Walk of the Stars."
Karen's star will be unveiled on Friday, March 27, at 11 a.m. at 112 North Palm Canyon, right in front of Balboa Candy.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony.
You may also see some familiar faces, including her longtime co-anchor John White and former Congressmember Mary Bono, Firebirds Announcer Gino LaMont (her former colleague), and others.
News Channel 3's Patrick Evans will be hosting the event.
Devine, a multi-award-winning anchor and investigative reporter for KESQ News Channel 3, has spent more than 30 years reporting on the issues, events and people that shape life across the Coachella Valley.
"I am incredibly humbled to be honored in this way with a ‘Forever Star’ on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars,” said Devine. “The Coachella Valley is not only where I work, it's where I live and where I've raised my sons. This is home and the viewers are my extended family. I feel so lucky to have become a trusted source for local news and grateful to tell the stories that affect the Coachella Valley."
Known for her trusted presence on the anchor desk and her in-depth investigative reporting, Devine currently anchors the station’s 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. News Channel 3 newscasts while continuing to produce investigative stories that impact communities throughout the region.
Her journalism career has earned widespread recognition, including multiple Emmy Awards, Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and Golden Mike Awards, along with the prestigious Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – honoring more than 25 years of excellence in broadcast journalism.
In 2024, she was inducted into the Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame, further recognizing her lasting influence on local media.
Devine’s investigative work has often focused on public safety and community health. Her Emmy-winning investigation, “Teens and Prescription Drug Abuse: The Epidemic,” helped bring public attention to the growing crisis of opioid and prescription drug abuse. Her reporting brought together families, law enforcement and policymakers and contributed to the formation of the nonprofit Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA). In 2023, the organization honored Devine with its Humanitarian Award for her ongoing coverage of drug addiction and fentanyl poisoning.
Her investigative reporting has also examined other issues including pandemic conditions in nursing homes during COVID-19 lockdowns and accountability concerns affecting local infrastructure and public safety. In one investigation, Devine uncovered incorrect signage along the newly-constructed CV Link path, prompting officials to correct the issue prior to the project’s grand opening.
Before joining KESQ, Devine spent 17 years at KMIR-TV (NBC Palm Springs), where she served as anchor, reporter, producer and later, News Director – overseeing newsroom operations while anchoring the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. During her tenure, the station expanded its programming to include morning and weekend broadcasts. It became the first local station to contribute daily live segments to MSNBC featuring news from across the country – which was especially meaningful to her, as her family in Lake Tahoe could watch her reporting from their home there.
Throughout her career, Devine has covered major moments in Coachella Valley history and conducted interviews with prominent national figures while also championing stories affecting everyday residents of the desert.
Devine began her television career as a field producer for CNN’s “Showbiz Today” in Los Angeles, where she interviewed celebrities for the network’s weekday entertainment program. She later produced and anchored the local cable news program “A Week in Walnut.” She is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, where she earned a degree in Radio, Television and Film with an emphasis in broadcast journalism.
Beyond the newsroom, Devine has been deeply involved in the Coachella Valley community. She was named the 2019 Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Chad Mayes, received the Athena Leadership Award from the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and was honored as a City of La Quinta Pillar of the Community.
Devine has supported numerous local organizations, including the American Cancer Society Desert Spirit Chapter, Palm Springs Women in Film and Television, Women Leaders Forum, The Girlfriend Factor and Olive Crest. She has emceed countless community events over the years, and regularly mentors aspiring journalists – speaking in local schools about careers in media.
Her recognition on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars places Devine among a distinguished group of entertainers, civic leaders and cultural icons honored for their contributions to the city and the broader community.
Established in 1992 and managed by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Palm Springs, the Walk of the Stars features hundreds of ‘Golden Palm Stars’ embedded along downtown sidewalks, celebrating individuals whose achievements and connections have helped shape the cultural heritage of Palm Springs and beyond.
Through her decades on the anchor desk and in the field, Karen Devine has become one of the Coachella Valley’s most beloved journalists – combining investigative reporting, community service and a lifelong commitment to telling the stories that matter most to the people of the desert.
