I watched these years ago when I was a big fan of X-Files and thought I'd check out the inspiration. One thing that struck me was how they couldn't decide where he was based - the first movie had him at a newspaper in Las Vegas, the next at a paper in Seattle, and then the TV series was set at a news wire service in Chicago. And yet he had the same editor every time.
That's actually explained in the movies. He and Vincenzo keep getting run out of town by the authorities until, finally, they settle in Chicago in time for the TV show . . . The first movie, in particular, makes it clear that Kolchak will be charged with murder (for staking Skorzeny) if he doesn't leave Vegas immediately. He eventually makes his way to Seattle, where he runs into his old editor and convinces Vincenzo to hire him again. The third movie was going to take place in Hawaii, but that was scrapped in favor of the TV series.
The real reason he had the same editor in every city was that Simon Oakland was too awesome to give up.
I loved this show, I think I'll have to try to get it on dvd, I haven't seen it in about 30 years. I still remember the one where the guy thought there were nazis but it was a monster and a Hindi man was trying to ward it off with swastikas.