Dennis Richmond Signs Off

KTVU anchor chats about his biggest stories, his struggles, and the future of local news.

This month, Bay Area news viewers will say good-bye to a legend, when anchor Dennis Richmond retires from KTVU’s 10 O’Clock News. The 40-year veteran of Channel 2 announced that May 21 would be his last broadcast. Richmond’s final year has been bumpy—just before he announced his retirement date to coworkers last December, he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. We caught up with Richmond, who turns 65 on May 26, at home in San Ramon to talk about his recovery from prostate surgery and the ups and downs of a career in the news business.

You’ve had several colleagues who have battled cancer, including Faith Fancher, who died in 2003. What did you think when you heard the diagnosis?

The first thing that goes through your mind is fear. When I heard I had it, I just wanted it out. Then, of course, you think back to your friends who went through it. I know of at least three other people at Channel 2 who have had it, two who survived and, of course, Faith. … It was no fun to go through the surgery or the recovery. The bright side is I’m cancer-free.

There have also been some highs this year. Your daughter, Amber, had a baby recently.

[My granddaughter] Maya was born before my health issues, so I was able to go through the joy and exhilaration without those distractions. One thing I kept thinking while recovering from surgery was that my mother died when Amber was only two. I regret that they didn’t get to know each other. I want my granddaughter to get to know me.

Back to your career. What stories stand out in your 40 years at KTVU?

To give you an idea of how long I’ve been around, Joe Alioto was mayor of San Francisco when I started. I’ve seen it all: the Black Panthers trials—Angela Davis and Huey Newton—the Dan White trial, Jim Jones and Jonestown, Loma Prieta, September 11.

Tell us a behind-the-scenes story about covering the news.

One was the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in the 1980s. The morning the Challenger exploded, I was headed out to play tennis and, just before walking out the door, saw the picture on television of the debris falling. I turned around, grabbed a shirt and tie, and drove straight to the station. I was still wearing tennis shorts underneath the anchor desk while reporting the story.

What stories did you cover before they went national?

Certainly the Loma Prieta earthquake and the Oakland hills fires. We covered those stories better than the national news outfits could. Another one was Patty Hearst. I covered her story as a reporter. I’ll never forget the time that the Golden State Warriors were playing in the NBA playoffs, the only time they ever won. I had press row passes right on the floor and was just about to leave for the game, and I got a call that Patty Hearst was going to be released [from Symbionese Liberation Army captors] and that I should get to the Hearst Mansion in Hillsborough right away. I missed the game, and, of course, nothing happened—she didn’t show up.

KTVU gave us photos from your years at Channel 2, including one of you hanging off the side of a skyscraper. It looks like something out of Die Hard.

[Laughs] That was outside the restaurant atop the San Francisco Hilton. I was doing a five-part series on dangerous jobs, including window washer. At that time, the window washer had to sit on a little swing and hang from a rope. I was scared to death. The only experience that has compared in my life was when I was in the 82nd Airborne, and I had to jump out of a plane for the first time.

Courtesy of KTVU

How has broadcast news changed for the better during the past 40 years?

The technological changes are remarkable. When I first started, we still used film. We had to shoot film and get it processed at a lab, and physically cut the film. Something could happen just outside the KTVU studio at 9:30 p.m., and we couldn’t get the film on the air until the next day. Videotape greatly advanced the speed at which news stories could be reported. We don’t even use video anymore. It’s all digital, which is even faster still.

How has the news business changed for the worse?

The business part. At one time, you turned on Walter Cronkite, and you got the major news of the day that you needed, that affected you. The news division was not there to make money. The news division provided a public service. Once things started getting into the hands of the CEOs, everything was fair game. I can’t blame any business for wanting to make a profit, but news gathering used to be just that.

Do you have any regrets in your career?

Often there are stories that you aren’t a part of because you’re just not there. Before Channel 2 was a Fox affiliate, it was an independent station, and we did not send people to other countries. I would have liked to cover some war zones.

What advice do you give to aspiring journalists?

The key to being a success is wanting it more than the other person—and then hard, hard work. I tell students that this is not a nine-to-five job—journalism is 24 hours a day. My day starts at 6:30 a.m. with a cup of coffee and the newspapers in the driveway. I’m watching news shows and listening to news stations all day long. Right now, I’m reading news reports from wire services and going over stories for the news at six.

What is the future of local TV news?

People get news from so many national and international sources these days that TV news is less relevant than it used to be for national stories. The one thing that keeps us going is that we can provide the local angle—the information that is relevant to the immediate area.

How many African American newscasters were on the air when you started?

There were two: Belva Davis and Ben Williams at KPIX. And at that time, there were very few minorities or women on the air. The industry made great strides going into the 1980s. By that time, it was no longer an issue to see a minority face on the air.

What will you like about not having to go to work every day?

No doubt I’m going to miss the job. But, I will enjoy the sheer freedom to get on a plane with my wife and go somewhere, and not worry about whether a major story is going to break. In 40 years, I have never been able to enjoy more than two weeks off at a time.