RIP Hal Fishman

http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-halfishman,0,7719129.story?coll=ktla-promo-layout

Veteran TV newsman in Los Angeles died today at age 75. Worked at KTLA Channel 5 forever.

 

Fishman was diagnosed with colon cancer early last week. They said it spread to his liver, but man, he went fast.

This is a SoCal phenomenon, but Fishman was the ultimate anchor with gravitas -- a dying, if not dead already, species. People who worked with him said he took the journalistic tenet that you should know a little about everything and put it on steroids.

He knew a LOT about a lot of subjects, which gave his reports -- and the commentaries his station allowed him to do as a result of this -- with credibility you didn't see anywhere else. Certainly not at the O&Os here in LA.

He was a former college professor who became the longest-tenured anchor of any station in the country.

RIP to a true journalist and newsman.

 

He did a great job putting up with the lesser lights as his co-anchor. Didn't love the freeway chases, though. Big loss.

 

For the longest time, whenever there was a catastrophe or serious breaking news in town, we always went to KTLA first to find out what was happening.

 

I also remember the many times he'd have to actually report on some fluff news and he'd do it like a pro even though you KNEW it was the last thing he wanted to report on.

 

I loved that man. I loved how he soldered on, in spite of being on a station that had long since seen better days. I didn't watch him every night, but there was some comfort knowing that he'd be there to tell me (not read me) the news.

Pretty much everyone else on LA TV news are just talking heads. Hal brought TONS to the party. I was just on KTLA's wwwsite and saw a tribute to Hal that was just around the corner from me at the Autry Center on July 31st. There's a ten-minute clip of him addressing the crowd. It's haunting in a way that you can tell he's somewhat compromised (as opposed to how we Angelenos are used to seeing him), but his steadfastness was still there.

http://ktla.trb.com/extras/ktla/60th/hal-gala.html

And for him to collapse the next day...wow. RIP, Hal. Say hi to Jerry Dunphy for us.

 

SoCal truly was blessed over the years with great TV newscasters. Loved Dr. George doing the weather on Channel 7. Jerry Dunphy -- From the desert to the sea to all of Southern California, good evening -- was up there with Hal.
Sadly, not now.

 

Is Stan Chambers still going strong? Saw him on the Rose Parade pre-parade show but haven't been in LA lately.

 

Stan's still going, in fact, according to Wikipedia, he's got a book coming out in December for his 60 years.

Stan Chambers has a new book coming out in December, 2007, in time for his 60th year anniversary - News At Ten - Sixty Years With Stan Chambers with Behler Publications.

 

Wow. To think the guy's been on the air since 1947. I remember a couple of years ago during the huge wildfires, Chambers was doing a live shot within yards of the belching smoke, and I'm thinking, if the wind turns, there's no way this old guy can run for it.