Several Chances to Meet Local TV Legend Stan Chambers

KTLA’s Stan Chambers is a living legend, a TV reporter who dates all the way back to the dawn of the medium. He’d be in the history books even if his career ended with the live coverage of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus well tragedy… but his career has continued for nearly 60 years beyond that.

Now, Stan has released the book “KTLA’s News At Ten: Sixty Years With Stan Chambers,” which focuses on his role in covering much of Los Angeles’ coming of age:

Interweaving television history with a legendary reporter¹s back story and perspective, “KTLA’s News At Ten: Sixty Years With Stan Chambers” focuses on events familiar to viewers in Southern California and sure to fascinate readers nationwide. With an engaging, up-close and personal style, Chambers recreates the everyday challenges of a television news reporter¹s job back in the days before mini-cams and cell phones. He also recaptures the excitement of being among the first to experience technical breakthroughs — like KTLA’s top-secret engineering feat: the first-ever news “Telecopter” — and the being the first to break many stories. Among the memorable events in the spotlight:

–The monumental story of the Rodney King beating, which Chambers¹ broke when amateur photographer George Holiday entrusted his videotape to the trusted reporter

–Chilling and heartbreaking high-profile stories, including the case of the Hillside Strangler, the Manson family murder of Sharon Tate, and the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra, Jr.

–Harrowing live coverage of the A-Bomb test in the Nevada prove-up grounds, the Baldwin Hills Dam disaster, the Northridge earthquake, and the Malibu fires

–Haunting reports on two destructive riots with disturbing similarities:
the Watts Riots of 1965 and the Los Angeles Riots of 1992

Stan will be signing the book this winter throughout the Southland:

January 19 – Dutton’s, LA
February 2 – Vroman’s, Pasadena
February 7 – Barnes & Noble, Long Beach
February 11 – Burbank Public Library, “Coffee & Conversations”
February 23 – Chevalier’s Books, LA
February 26 – Newport Beach Public Library Foundation
February 28 – Barnes & Noble, LA (The Grove)
March 15 – Cal State Fullerton’s Assistance League, “A Day of Authors”
April 2 – UCI Inside Edge
April 10 – Brendeis University Luncheon, Beverly Hills April 18 – Huntington Beach Library

Retro Friday: L.A. TV History, As Recounted in 1981

Here’s a great “2 On The Town” package (split into two YouTube videos), as Steve Edwards interviews three legendary L.A. TV personalities in 1981. KTLA’s Stan Chambers, of course, is still on TV, believe it or not! Great rememberances by Chambers, as well as KTTV’s Bill Welsh (standing in front of the Pan Pacific Auditorium, which was still standing in 1981!) and KHJ’s Ted Myers. As aired on KNXT-TV (now KCBS) on March 6, 1981.

R.I.P., Hal Fishman

The longtime KTLA newsman, who took over the 10 p.m. anchor desk at the station in 1975, died this morning. He was 75.

Fishman was the dean of L.A. anchors, having sat in the same chair longer than anyone else here — actually, according to KTLA, longer than anyone else in TV history.

Local TV news has changed a lot in the 47 years since he first entered the business.. some good (the technology that has made reporting around the region a lot easier) and a lot bad (the general fluffiness and “if it bleeds, it leads” mindset of modern newscasts). But even as KTLA grew less newsy and more feature-y (and became more and more populated by amateurs will few reporting chops), Hal remained the conscience of the station. You knew that, with Hal and Stan Chambers still at KTLA, all was not lost.

Well, something now has been lost.

Background on Hal, from KTLA:

Hal was on track for a career as a college professor when television station KCOP invited him to teach an on-air class in politics in 1960. He agreed, and “American Political Parties in Politics” became so successful that the station asked him back to anchor his own segment on the news. Hal made the jump to KTLA in 1965, the year of the Watts riots. His coverage of that event helped KTLA win an Emmy and a Peabody Award.

A 47-year news veteran, Hal anchored KTLA Prime News (known previously as “News @ Ten”) continuously since 1975, making him the longest-running anchor in television history. Along with serving as an anchor for Prime News, Hal was also the show’s managing editor.

More than 1,500 viewers have already payed tribute to Hal on the KTLA’s website.

Meanwhile, on his blog, Eric Spillman — one of KTLA’s best reporters — payed tribute:

(Hal) believed in Journalism and The News, capitalized. Those of us in broadcasting had an almost-sacred task of delivering important information to the viewers so that democracy could survive.

He honestly believed that.

Would a Hal Fishman be able to get a job in TV news today? I’m afraid to answer that question.

Those of us still employed in this business need to think about the values he stood for and figure out how to convince our bosses it still matters.

It’s been widely assumed that when Fishman eventually passed the anchor baton, “KTLA Morning Show” anchor Carlos Amezcua would take over the 10 p.m. newscast.

But the station will probably wait a few weeks before announcing its plans, particularly because Fishman’s death was so sudden. He was only diagnosed with colon cancer a week ago, but the illness had already spread to his liver.

It’s a rough time for KTLA, which also recently saw the departure of longtime news director Jeff Wald.

One more tidbit about Hal: As a pilot and aviation buff, Hal holds 12 official world aviation records for speed and altitude.

Previously on Franklin Avenue: Hal Fishman in Hospital, Just Days After KTLA Honors Him

Hal Fishman in Hospital, Just Days After KTLA Honors Him

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Just days after KTLA threw a bash celebrating the career of Hal Fishman, the longtime anchorman is in the hospital suffering from a serious infection. KTLA announced Fishman’s hospitalization on Thursday’s 10 p.m. newscast, and the L.A. Times has more here.

Apparently Fishman collapsed in his home on Wednesday. Just a day before, on Tuesday night, KTLA honored Fishman with a gala at the Autry Center, tied to the station’s 60th anniversary and celebrating Fishman’s 47 years on TV in Los Angeles.

Check out here to see a video prepared for the tribute, featuring celebs such as Jay Leno and Arnold Schwarzenegger; the link also includes video of Hal’s thank yous.

Fishman, 75, has been with KTLA since 1965, and has anchored the 10 p.m. newscast since 1975 (to put it in perspective, I was 2 years old when he became anchor. And my mom was 15 when he joined KTLA). He’s not even KTLA’s longest tenured broadcaster– that title, of course, goes to Stan Chambers, who’s been with the station since 1947.

Click here to see some of KTLA’s past news coverage, including clips from a 1982 KTLA special in which Stan and Hal revisit the scene of many key L.A. news stories.

Should Hal opt to retire, or at least pull back from the 10 p.m. grind, it’s been assumed for many years that longtime “KTLA Morning Show” anchor Carlos Amezcua is line to move up to the job (now opposite Leila Feinstein).

UPDATE: KTLA reports on its website that doctors have discovered that Fishman has colon cancer, which has already spread to his liver.

“Hal is awake and thanks everyone for their well wishes and says he is going to fight this illness,” the station said.