Palm Springs will soon honor one of the Coachella Valley’s most recognizable voices in local journalism. Award-winning television journalist Karen Devine will receive a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars during a public ceremony on Friday, March 27, 2026 at 11 a.m. The star will be located at 112 N. Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs.
Devine, a longtime news anchor and investigative reporter for KESQ News Channel 3, is being recognized for more than three decades of reporting on the issues, people and events 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,” Devine said in a statement. “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.”
Devine currently anchors the station’s 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. newscasts while continuing to produce investigative reports focused on issues impacting local communities.
Over the course of her career, Devine has received numerous honors for her work, including multiple Emmy Awards, Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and Golden Mike Awards. She also received the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, recognizing more than 25 years of excellence in broadcast journalism.
In 2024, Devine was inducted into the Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame, further highlighting her impact on the region’s media landscape.
Much of Devine’s investigative reporting has focused on public safety and community health. Her Emmy-winning investigation, “Teens and Prescription Drug Abuse: The Epidemic,” helped raise awareness about opioid and prescription drug misuse among young people. The reporting helped bring together families, law enforcement and policymakers, contributing to the formation of the nonprofit Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA). The organization later honored Devine with its Humanitarian Award in 2023 for her continued coverage of drug addiction and fentanyl poisoning.
Her investigative work has also explored pandemic conditions in nursing homes during COVID-19 lockdowns and public safety issues involving local infrastructure. In one case, Devine uncovered incorrect signage along the newly constructed CV Link recreational path, prompting officials to correct the problem before the project’s official opening.
Before joining KESQ, Devine spent 17 years at KMIR-TV (NBC Palm Springs), where she worked as an anchor, reporter, producer and eventually News Director. During her time there, she oversaw newsroom operations while anchoring the station’s evening newscasts and helped expand programming to include morning and weekend broadcasts. The station also became the first local outlet to contribute daily live segments to MSNBC, allowing viewers nationwide to see reporting from the Coachella Valley.
Devine began her television career in Los Angeles as a field producer for CNN’s “Showbiz Today,” where she interviewed celebrities for the network’s entertainment news program. She later produced and anchored the local cable program “A Week in Walnut.” Devine graduated from California State University, Fullerton, earning a degree in Radio, Television and Film with an emphasis in broadcast journalism.
Outside the newsroom, Devine has been active in the Coachella Valley community. She was named 2019 Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Chad Mayes, received the Athena Leadership Award from the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and was recognized as a City of La Quinta Pillar of the Community.
She has supported many 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. Devine frequently emcees community events and mentors aspiring journalists, often speaking in local schools about careers in media.
Her new star will place Devine among the many entertainers, civic leaders and cultural figures honored along the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars.
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. The stars recognize individuals whose achievements and connections have helped shape the cultural and civic identity of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.
After decades reporting from the anchor desk and in the field, Karen Devine’s star will serve as a lasting tribute to a journalist whose work has informed and connected the desert community for more than 30 years.