Legendary ktvu -anchor Dennis Richmond dies at 82

Grass Valley, California. And Legendary KTVU -Andorman Dennis Richmond, the most important newsman of four decades – an anchor still associated with Channel 2 long after his retirement died Wednesday at the age of 82.

Friends told Ktvu that Richmond died in Grass Valley, California, with his wife, Deborah, by his side. She held her hand until the end, said friends.

“Dennis was a strong presence in the KTVU news room for decades, led the team and set high standards for himself and his colleagues in everything they did,” said KTVU -General Manager Mellynda Hartel. “His influence is still felt in the KTVU news room today.”

KTVU -assistant news director Darren Zulberti said Richmond helped mentor him as a young journalist, and then the veteran news was quickly transformed from mentor to friend.

“He always reminded me and those around him to treat the viewer with respect, often reported difficult news in uncertain times of clarity, context and straightforward delivery,” Zulberti said.

Richmond was known by both viewers and colleagues as the most reliable voice in times of crisis and confusion and the unwavering calm in the middle of a storm. He was most visually recognizable by his smart suits and thick barts.

Richmond, one of the country’s first black anchors in a larger market -tv -news broadcast, joined KTVU as a clerk and got up to rank as anchor in 1976, a job he had until 2008 when he retired five days Before he turned 65.

He was co-anchored with Barbara Simpson, Elaine Corral, Leslie Griffith, who died in 2022, and Julie Haener-how, the latter withdrew in June.

Under Richmond, the Ten Klokka News Bay Area’s top-rated nightly news broadcast — a title that the station still resides today.

CLOCK: A look back on Dennis Richmond’s life and career

There is no other anchor in journalism History of Bay Area that is still as well known as Richmond.

Several Bay Area viewers turned to Channel 2 during cataclysmic events to hear Richmond advertise facts.

Even today, every time the station name KTVU comes up in conversation, the first comment is often made: “I love Dennis Richmond.”

In 2008, San Francisco Chronicle wrote an article about him entitled “Dennis Richmond is greater than Oprah.”

Richmond’s biggest stories as a reporter included coverage of the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst from 1976 and murder murder from San Francisco Moscone from 1978 from 1978 from 1978 by San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk by former supervisor Dan White.

In 1989 he co-anchored Loma Prieta earthquake from the KTVU parking lot. And in 1991 he delivered the news of Oakland Hill’s fourestorm and told stories of heroism and tragedy.

Richmond told The Chronicle in a 2010 interview that before he and Corral went on the air during the earthquake, the news director said, “People will look at you in direction. If you are excited and nervous, they will get excited and nervous.

He said he saw that his job was to report the news without a lot of unnecessary chat and treat his audience as if they are the most intelligent people in the world.

Before it was called at ten o’clock, the nocturnal segment was called Action News.

Richmond wanted that name to mean something.

Once he dangled from the 47th floor of a building to send out a report. Another time he flew with the blue angels and made loop-de-loops over the Bay of San Francisco.

But Richmond could also be easy and personal.

He anchored a piece of Disco -Dille, and when he stopped smoking, he shared with the viewers how he kicked the habit.

Richmond grew up in Rossford, Ohio, served in the Army from 1961 to 1964 with the 82nd Airborne Division and eventually graduated from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1969 on a scholarship he was offered while working at KTVU .

Richmond leaves behind his wife, his daughter and stepson.

After retirement, the couple moved to Grass Valley in Nevada County.

He enjoyed training, playing tennis, watching nature exhibitions and staying healthy by taking lots of vitamins. He had fought for some health problems, including a heart attack and prostate cancer about a decade ago.

After his retirement, Richmond said the proudest performance of his entire career was at a station and developed a special report with his audience.

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