Silver Circle
The Silver Circle honors media professionals who began their careers in television at least 25 years ago, either in a performing, creative, technical, or administrative role within the industry, or in a related field such as television journalism education, advertising, promotion, or public relations, with service connected to the San Francisco / Northern California Chapter.
Over the course of their 25-year career, honorees must also have made a significant contribution to the chapter.
Northern California — Silver Circle Honorees - 2000-2009
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2009 Silver Circle Honoree
Stefani Booroojian
KSEE 24
Stefani is a Fresno native and one of the most recognizable names in KSEE 24 News history. She has been on KSEE for 27 years and at the anchor desk since 1984. During that time, she has reported on many changes and events in the Central Valley. While monitoring the daily news, Booroojian’s number one responsibility has been watching out for people’s health and well being. She has been instrumental in bringing KSEE’s BuddyCheck 24 program to the Central Valley, saving lives through early detection methods and research in the fight against breast cancer. As the local spokesperson, she has reached more than 45,000 women with her uplifting news stories. Booroojian serves as a role model for young people, through her school and community speaking engagements. She has received two Emmy® awards and a distinguished service award from Fresno State University.
2009 Silver Circle Honoree
Michael Clark
KGO ABC 7
Michael has been a videographer/editor at KGO ABC7 for 33 years. He started in television in 1974, at KMUV 31 Sacramento. By 1976, Clark moved to KGO, and was assigned to the station’s first ENG truck. In the 1980s, he started editing, covering major news stories in Northern California and throughout the world, including: conventions and inaugurations; efforts to uncover landmines in Afghanistan; Bay Area surgeons teaching medical techniques to doctors in Russia; and the America’s Cup in Australia. Clark has received Emmy®, APTRA and SFBAPPA awards and a shared Peabody for coverage of the Loma Prieta Earthquake. He has mentored KGO interns and produced videos for youth groups, Little League teams, Heart to Heart and Roots of Peace.
2009 Silver Circle Honoree
Tad Dunbar
KRNV 4, KOLO 8
Tad’s career in broadcasting has spanned more than 50 years. His career began when he was 15 years old working at the radio station in his home town of Palestine, Texas. After high school, he moved to Abilene and worked his way through college spinning records, reading and producing newscasts and writing radio commercials. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Dunbar switched to full-time news in television. Before moving to Reno in 1969, he worked as a reporter, anchor and news director at various Texas stations. He spent 38 years in news at KOLO. After his 2007 retirement, he moved to KRNV as host of a news commentary program. Tad has received numerous awards from both news and professional associations, is a charter member of the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award and has received resolutions from both the Nevada and U.S. Senates.
2009 Silver Circle Honoree
Dr. Dean Edell
KGO ABC 7
Dr. Dean Edell, one of the first “media doctors” in the nation, retired from ABC7 News in March 2007. During his tenure at KGO TV, he provided daily medical news reports. He continues to host a syndicated radio talk show heard in more than 400 markets (including KGO Radio). From 1987-98, he hosted Dr. Edell’s Medical Journal, a weekly medical informational program that was syndicated on the Discovery and Learning Channels. He followed that series with Doctor Dean, a daily half-hour network talk show. The author of the Edell Health Letter, he has won numerous media and medical awards, including: a national Emmy® Award; an Iris; recognition from C. Everett Koop Media, Edward R. Murrow, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. An ophthalmologist and surgeon, Edell gave up his practice before moving to the Bay Area in 1980.
2009 Silver Circle Honoree
Emerald Yeh
CNN, KRON 4
In 2002 Emerald completed 19 years of anchoring and reporting for KRON. Recently, she distributed her half-hour documentary about children of alcoholics to PBS stations, with an accompanying website and public education campaign. She also hosted a pilot for Holistic Health, which aired on PBS. For ten years, Yeh doubled as KRON’s Midday anchor and as reporter for the Contact 4 consumer unit she helped create. She has received nine Emmy® statuettes and awards from RTNDA, APTRA, UPI, and the American Psychiatric Association and acknowledged by: the League of Women Voters; AFTRA; the State Attorney General; Youth Advocates; Association of Children’s Services; Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition; Cystic Fibrosis; Asian Women’s Shelter; and the Chinatown Community Development Center. She has served on the boards of the United Way, the Asia Pacific Fund, and the Center for the Pacific Rim. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Yeh earned a Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University.
2008 Silver Circle Honoree
Craig Franklin
KRON 4, KPIX CBS 5
Craig Franklin has been Senior Producer/Videographer for News Special Projects at KPIX CBS 5 since 2004. He started in San Francisco at KRON 4 in 1977 as a Broadcast Engineer and News Cameraman and was later promoted to Special Projects Producer/Cameraman in 1983. Craig’s programs, which have taken him to El Salvador, Northern Ireland, Israel, Hong Kong as well as throughout Northern California, have resulted in 19 Emmy® awards for producing, camera work, video editing and writing; 3 Peabody Awards and a DuPont-Columbia award. The recipient of Columbia University’s “Diversity Leadership Award” for his stories on race relations, Craig has used his programs to train students and professional journalists on race reporting. He has twice been invited by China Central Television to lead seminars in Beijing on television production techniques. In July 2004, KPIX offered Franklin the position of Executive Producer for 30 Minutes Bay Area, a pilot version of the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes. The quarterly program ran for two years. A current Governor for NATAS, Craig is also Chair of the Awards Committee, and has received 19 Northern California Regional Emmy® Awards.
2008 Silver Circle Honoree
John Iander
KOVR 13
John Iander recently left KOVR after 35 years at the station. He began his broadcast career in 1963 hosting a weekly high school talk show on KHJ-Radio in Los Angeles. John held jobs at KNBC/NBC Network News in Burbank and worked as a Production Assistant on Laugh In, The Don Knotts Show and The Tonight Show. In 1969, John moved to Sacramento as Assignment Manager for KXTV 10. While at KXTV, he also anchored his own talk show, reported and was acting News Director. In 1973, he moved across the street to become Assignment Manager for KOVR 13 and acting News Director. By 1975, he became the Capitol Correspondent for McClatchy Broadcasting, covering politics, hosting the weekly, State Capitol and traveling around the world producing documentaries on the politics of foreign governments. He also appeared on KOVR’s Special Assignment, a weekly series of investigative reports. A member of Sigma Delta Chi and the Public Relations Society of America, John is a licensed pilot, an Emmy® award recipient and has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, United Press International and NATO for this work.
2008 Silver Circle Honoree
John Kessler
KRON 4, KPIX CBS 5
John Kessler is the Co-Anchor for the KPIX CBS 5 Eyewitness News Early Edition. He joined the station in October of 2002. In 2004, he won an Emmy® award for his reporting from Baghdad, and more recently, won another one for Best Daytime Newscast. His broadcasting career began as an award-winning radio disc jockey, working in Jacksonville, Charlotte; Detroit and San Diego. In the early 80’s, John jumped from his successful radio career to television by moving from San Diego to Fresno. A few years later he was in Germany covering the fall of communism and the Berlin Wall. John moved to San Francisco in 1990 and worked briefly for TV-20. He then joined KRON as a Reporter and eventually became a “bureau chief.” A decade later he ended his career at KRON as Bay TV Morning Anchor. His next stop was KPIX CBS-5. John works with many charities, including: The Shelter Network, St. Rose Hospital Foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities and Hope Hospice. John studied journalism at San Diego State, psychology at North Carolina State and mechanical engineering at Corning College.
2023 Gold Circle Honoree
2008 Silver Circle Honoree
James Stimson
KCRA 3
In an era where the word “tenure” has little meaning, Jim Stimson has defined it while making himself a career at KCRA. Starting as an intern at KCRA radio in 1974, he gained permanent employment a year later. In 1978, he moved over to KCRA-TV and is still there. Over the years, Jim has had a hand in just about every aspect of KCRA’s news coverage – as a Writer, Assignment Editor, Office Manager, Field Producer, Weekend Reporter, Line Producer, Senior Producer, Executive Producer and Assistant News Director. Along the way, Jim has received multiple Emmy® awards, including two for his work in set design. He oversaw the station’s award-winning coverage of the 1997 floods and its statewide town hall broadcast with President Bill Clinton. He has produced special coverage of autism, AIDS, breast cancer, debates, sporting events, elections, conventions and the U.S. space program. Jim credits much of his success to the talent and hard work of the people he has had the privilege to work with and learn from over the years. Of all the things he has done at KCRA, Jim says he remains proudest of the station’s day to day news coverage.
2008 Silver Circle Honoree
Jan Wahl
KRON 4
Recognized as a woman of many “hats,” Film Historian and Critic Jan Wahl joined KRON 4 in October 1990 and offers critiques, reviews, celebrity interviews and interesting background information on show business. She also provides cultural and business reports for KCBS radio and is a featured regular on LIVE 105 and KITS 105.3. Jan also teaches at Dominican University and USF on the business of show business and the history of the cinema; emcees community events; lectures and delivers show business talks on international cruises. Before coming to the Bay Area, Jan worked for ABC in Los Angeles as a Documentary Producer and Stage Manager/Director for Rona Barrett’s Hollywood, The Lawrence Welk Show, Match Game, Family Feud and Good Morning America. The recipient of two Emmy® awards, Jan began collecting movie memorabilia at age seven. She is involved in many community organizations, including: PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society); Richard/Ermet AIDS Foundation; San Francisco SPCA; Second Chance Rescue; Music in Schools Today; Arthritis Foundation and Delancey Street. Jan is a graduate of San Francisco State University and was inducted into the University’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007.
2007 Silver Circle Honoree
Mark Ibanez
KTVU Channel 2
Toronto born Mark Ibañez has been with the KTVU Sports Department for 26 years making him the longest running sports reporter/anchor in the Bay Area. Mark’s love of sports, in-depth analysis and creative style made him the obvious choice in 1979 for sportscaster of KTVU’s “The Ten 0’Clock News.” In 1987, he was named Sports Director. When the NFL moved to Fox, he became the anchor of the highly-rated pre-game “49er Playbook” and “The Point After” postgame show. He has received three Emmy® awards and eight nominations. His sports commentary book, “Mark’s Remarks,” has been a best-seller with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. In recognition of his efforts, the Society named him Ambassador of the Year. In 1995 he served as the Northern California spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Club and continues to serve as emcee at some of its annual fund raisers. Mark is on the board of the Biletnikoff Foundation, which raises funds to help battered women. He established an internship program in the KTVU sports department in 1981 which to date has “graduated” 40 broadcast professionals into the business. Before coming to KTVU, Mark was a sportscaster on KXTV Channel 10 in Sacramento. He received his B.A. degree in Journalism, Radio and Television Broadcasting from the University of Idaho.
2007 Silver Circle Honoree
Gary Sprinkle
KITV 4
Gary Sprinkle is an environmentalist and adventurer in his 30th year of television news. He co-anchors KITV 4 News at 5 (ABC) and has been Producer/Director/Editor of “Pacific Adventures” since 1991. Gary has received numerous awards including: four Emmy® statuettes, 13 SPJ Awards, The Wildlife Society’s Environmentalist of the Year in five western states, Journalist of the Year (Hawaii Audubon Society), Kahili Award (best broadcast documentary), Documentary of the Year (HVB) and the Teddy Award (Michigan Outdoor Writers Association). Gary has served as the chairman of the state Christmas Seals campaign, the American Lung Association and is the annual host for the Alana Drug Foundation and Alzheimer’s Association fundraisers. Along with his wife, Pamela Young, Gary is the benefactor of five scholarships each year at Kapiolani Community College. His commitment to the culture, environment, and wildlife of the pacific region has enabled television viewers to better understand endangered and threatened resources and to share in the effort to preserve them. His “Pacific Adventures” programs are part of the State of Hawaii Department of Education and University of Hawaii system. His reporting has facilitated communication and lead to partnerships between numerous federal, state, and non-profit organizations. Gary attended Pima College in Tucson, Arizona and majored in business.
2007 Silver Circle Honoree
Carolyn Tyler
KGO ABC 7
Carolyn Tyler anchors the ABC 7 Sunday Morning News at 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. She’s also a general assignment reporter for ABC 7 News. She joined the station in May 1986 and served as weekend news co-anchor from 1989 through 1995. Carolyn is dedicated to working on news stories and issues of social change. She has produced several special reports and received three Emmy® award nominations including a nomination for her series on the impact of the Civil Rights movement on Bay Area students and a series on San Francisco’s homeless crisis. Along with her colleagues at ABC 7, she shares a Peabody and Edward R. Murrow award for coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Carolyn, a tireless volunteer, has received numerous community awards including the Rosa Parks Legacy Award in 2006 from the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Media Award from the Bay Area Coalition of 100 Black Women. She is also a member of the Bay Area Black Journalists Association and a founding co-chair of Friends of Faith, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness for low-income breast cancer survivors in the Bay Area. Carolyn holds a B.A. in Broadcasting from the University of Wyoming.
2007 Silver Circle Honoree
Gayle Yamada
KQED 9, Bridge Media
During nearly three decades in commercial, public, and cable broadcasting, Gayle Yamada has been an award-winning executive producer, producer, director, writer, assignment editor, reporter, news director, anchor, editor, and videographer. Her body of work includes news, documentaries such as “We the People” with Peter Jennings, cultural performances such as “Earthquake Relief,” and national cooking shows such as “Yan Can Cook.” She has taught at several universities, including Stanford and California State University, Sacramento; co-authored two books, one on women in broadcast news; and was a newspaper columnist. With business partner Dianne Fukami, Gayle founded Bridge Media, Inc., a production and consultation firm, and Media Bridges, Inc., an educational non-profit organization. Among her many awards are the Asian American Journalists Association Award in both television and radio, an Edward R. Murrow regional award, Best Historical Documentary from the New York Film Festival, a Special Achievement award from the Pacific Mountain Network, and the NATAS Governors’ Service Medallion. She served on the NATAS Board of Governors and was a national trustee. She loves to travel the world for work and play. Her B.A. is from the College of William and Mary, and her M.A. in Communications is from the University of Florida.
2007 Silver Circle Honoree
Linda Yee
KRON 4, KPIX CBS 5
A Bay Area native, Linda Yee returned to KPIX, CBS5 in December, 2005 after spending 32 years with KRON-TV. A general assignment reporter, she has also worked for KGO, the Fremont Argus and San Francisco’s East/West Chinese American Journal. Linda has received four Emmy® awards and dozens of Emmy® nominations for her reporting. She has also been recognized for her AIDS coverage by The Alliance, a political action committee; RTNDA for 3 different stories: ”Man in White” (2006), “Big Brother” (1997), ”Whose Baby” (1986) a piece on contested adoption; The Asian American Journalists Association National Broadcast Award for her exclusive story on a Chinatown gangster – one example of her extensive work on habitual juvenile delinquents; and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism for her series on Post 9/11 racial profiling. Linda belongs to the Asian American Journalists Association and NATAS and is involved in many non-profit organizations, most in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She often serves as mistress of ceremonies for community organizations such as the Asian Police Officers Association and St. Mary’s Chinese Elementary School. Linda received her B.A. degree in journalism from San Francisco State University.
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
John Fowler
Health and Science Editor, KTVU Channel 2
John Fowler is a veteran of the KTVU Newsroom, having been with the station since 1975. He started as a writer, assignment editor and producer before beginning full-time reporting duties in 1978. After graduating college with specialties in experimental psychology and physics, this San Diego native opened his own business in computer project planning. With a love of flying, John spent 10 years as a commercial pilot and flight instructor in San Diego, amassing more than 3,000 hours of flight time. He’s qualified to teach and evaluate pilots on most of the world’s aircrafts. A decade later, he moved to the Bay Area and a new career in television news. A college roommate knew of a job at KTVU, so Fowler moved to the Bay Area and a new career in television news. Fowler is the recipient of several Emmy® awards and an International Gold Medal from the New York International Film and Television Festival. Fowler is married and has two children. His hobbies include scuba diving and soaring.
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
Mark Hedlund
KXTV News 10
Mark Hedlund is one of KXTV News 10’s most senior reporters, with tenure at the station dating back to 1981.
He’s traveled around the world (Washington D.C., Mexico, Panama, Greece, Germany, Saudi Arabia) covering major news stories. Mark has reported on the Persian Gulf conflict, Rodney King verdicts, military base closure hearings in Washington, the murder trials of Dorothea Puente and Richard Alan Davis, the historic climb of Half Dome by Mark Wellman, California’s great floods in 1986 and 1997, major wild land fires, the Mexico City earthquake and the Loma Prieta earthquake.
A full-time journalist since 1975, Mark has covered every president since Gerald Ford. His experience includes news reporting for radio, newspaper and television.
The awards he has earned include the National Scripps-Howard Award for Journalistic excellence, the National United Press International Award, the Associated Press Bill Stout Memorial Award, a Northern California Emmy® Award from NATAS plus state and regional awards from UPI, The Associated Press, Best of the West, California Exposition, Northern California Radio-TV News Directors Association, and the Sacramento Society for Professional Journalists.
2014 Gold Circle Honoree
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
Don Knapp
KRON 4, CNN, KPIX CBS 5
Since 2006, Don Knapp has been a general assignment reporter at KPIX CBS 5 Eyewitness News. He is the first San Francisco Bay Area television reporter to shoot, write and edit a “VJ” internet video story for the New York Times website, along with print article for the New York Times.
Knapp’s first paid job in broadcasting was in 1962 as morning show host at WLKR-FM radio in Norwalk Ohio. As a small town radio station, WLKR required their employees to multi-task and work many jobs. So, in addition to being the morning host and combo board operator, Knapp also was ad copy writer, music puller, transmitter operator, and restroom cleaner. One day, when his radio shift was ending, news of a Dallas shooting came over the news wires. For the next several hours, Knapp, seated next to the teletype with a microphone, reported the news. The next day, he went into the field to report on a breaking news story at the Fitchville Ohio Golden Age nursing home. As a result of these two news events, it was clear to Knapp that he preferred a career in broadcast news, so he applied to the Ohio State University’s Journalism school. While attending graduate school in 1964, he was hired at WBNS, Ohio, where he perfected his video journalism skills by working as a reporter, shooter, writer, editor and film processor. By 1969, he had moved to San Francisco.
Prior to his current job at KPIX CBS 5, Knapp worked at KRON 4 for five years as a general assignment reporter for daily news, major stories and special projects including primary coverage of the murder trials of Scott Peterson, Susan Polk and Scott Dyleski. He was one of the first KRON VJs (trained by Michael Rosenblum) to be reviewed and approved by KRON management. He produced and aired over 120 VJ stories.
Prior to KRON 4, Knapp worked for 13 years as a CNN West Coast Regional Network Correspondent based in San Francisco. His top assignments included: Kuwait oil field fires, Persian Gulf mine sweeping and Iraqi refugee crisis following Desert Storm, the Yellowstone forest fires, San Francisco earthquake, Mississippi and Missouri River floods, Rodney King riots, Hurricane Iniki on Kauai, Oklahoma City bombing, Los Angeles Northridge earthquake, O. J. Simpson trial, Northern California floods, Unabomber trial, Montana Freeman standoff, Oklahoma Monster Tornado, Columbine school shootings, Montana Bitterroot Valley Wildfires and Seattle World Trade Organization protests. Prior to CNN, he spent two decades reporting for major San Francisco Bay Area broadcast news operations including KGO ABC 7 and Radio News, KPIX 5 (again), and KTVU Channel 2.
Knapp was inducted into the Silver Circle in 2009. His work has been recognized with a National Emmy®, award for CNN Team Coverage of the Oklahoma City Bombing; Cable Ace award; the 2003 Lifetime Career Achievement from the Society of Professional Journalists; RTNDA, and Peninsula Press Club awards.
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
Sydnie Kohara
KPIX CBS 5
Award-winning broadcast journalist Sydnie Kohara brings years of experience to her position as co-anchor of the CBS 5 Eyewitness News Early Edition, as contributor to CBS 5 specials and as the featured reporter for “Chronicle Watch.”
Kohara has lived all over the world she covers. From Tokyo and Hong Kong to Frankfurt, Paris and London, she has provided the latest market news and information on Asian and European corporations for CNBC, NBC, MSNBC and WNBC and other NBC affiliates nationwide. She has also worked at television stations in Sacramento and Montgomery, Alabama. She provided live global coverage of the 1989 San Francisco earthquake to Japan, Europe and Australia for ABC and received a Peabody and an Edward R. Murrow award for reporting excellence.
Sydnie has also received Emmy® nominations and awards from AAJA, RTNDA and SPJ, served as Chief of Communications for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Quarterly Chair for the Commonwealth Club, helped found Camp CEO (a Girl Scout-sponsored retreat for at-risk teenage girls) and is in great demand as a speaker and emcee.
A native of Louisiana, Sydnie graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.A. in journalism.
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
Bob Long
KSEE 24
Bob Long has been in broadcasting since 1948, beginning with KRDU (Dinuba). He joined the news department of KMJ-TV (later KSEE) in August 1962. Bob has taught broadcast journalism since 1987 at Fresno State. He also served two terms as the president of the Fresno Volunteer Bureau as well as serving on the board of the American Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Boy Scout Explorer Program, Fresno State Media Council, Valley Public Radio and the Fresno County Historical Society. In 1985, as part of Fresno’s centennial celebration, Bob was named as one of a hundred outstanding Fresnans. Bob produced and co-anchored KSEE 24 “News at Noon,” as well as researched, wrote and produced his long running “On the Map” series for KSEE 24 News at 6pm. Bob retired from KSEE in 2002.
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
Ross McGowan
KPIX 5, KTVU Channel 2
Ross McGowan is the long-time host of KTVU FOX 2 “Mornings on Two.” He began his broadcasting career while still studying for his college degree at San Jose State. Working summers for KBMX in Coalinga, he later worked as a radio announcer for KSJO and KLIV (San Jose), KYOS (Merced), and KIRO (Seattle), before joining KING-TV, where he hosted “Seattle Tonight,” a live, nightly talk show. McGowan came to San Francisco in 1978 and for 14 years was the popular co-host of “People Are Talking” on KPIX. He received awards in his distinguished career, including a Gold Award from the New York Film Festival, the Cable Car Award for Outstanding Broadcast Journalism, and the Communication Excellence to Black Audiences (CEBA) award. A long time activist and volunteer in charitable organizations, McGowan has served as co-host of the Bay Area March of Dimes Telethon and the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. McGowan was born in Los Angeles, but grew up in Mill Valley, Cupertino and San Francisco.
2006 Silver Circle Honoree
Hank Plante
KPIX 5 CBS 5
Hank Plante began his television career in 1976 as an assignment editor at WTTG in Washington, D.C.
In 1978, he began his first television reporting job at WVEC in Norfolk, Virginia. Hank also worked as a reporter at KMSP in Minneapolis, KHJ in Los Angeles and KRIV in Houston before arriving at KPIX-CBS 5 in San Francisco in 1986.
In his 20 years here, Hank has been a pillar of journalist integrity. His specialty is politics, but Hank has also shown a knack for pulling together the human-interest feature.
Hank has won three regional Emmy® awards, as well as a Peabody Award in the 1980s for his reporting on the AIDS crisis. KPIX-CBS 5 has also received two national Emmy® awards for community service, based, in part, on Hank’s coverage of AIDS. He has been involved in gay and lesbian rights, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, GLAAD, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand. Hank is also a founding member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Dan Adams
KXTV News 10
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2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Dominic Bonavolonta
KTVU 2, Ohlone College
Recently retired from his daily responsibility of directing the nationally syndicated show “EXTRA,” Dominic Bonavolonta now channels his energies as an instructor at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA. A Southern Illinois University graduate, he began his career at WSNS (Chicago) then moved west in 1976 where he worked at KPIX (1976–77 and 89–95) and KTVU (77-89), directing the award winning “Eyewitness News” and “The 10 O’clock News” programs. Directing live events was also a specialty and he has excelled in telethons, parades and other special programming. He still dabbles with industrial teleconferences and may return to Los Angeles to direct syndicated game and/or talk shows.
2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Jim Branson
KTVU Channel 2
Jim Branson, KTVU’s managing editor, is one of the main reasons for the long-standing success of the station’s 10 pm news. Since 1978, Jim has been what reporters fondly call “the quality control officer” for the show: reviewing, revising, approving and at times completely rewriting almost all scripts. And rare for an editor, reporters almost always feel their stories are vastly better for having been “Bransonized.” He started in TV as a news writer at KPIX. And before that, at his beloved Cal, went from student reporter to copy editor, managing editor and finally editor of the Daily Californian during the tumultuous 60’s and 70’s. For fun, Jim is an original member and current commissioner of the Desk League, founded at KGO and KTVU in 1981, the oldest continuing fantasy baseball league on the west coast. He’s also won two Emmy® awards and is a member of the U.S. Holocaust Museum, B’Nai B’Rith, ACLU, and Amnesty International.
2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Kate Kelly
KPIX CBS 5
Jim Branson, KTVU’s managing editor, is one of the main reasons for the long-standing success of the station’s 10 pm news. Since 1978, Jim has been what reporters fondly call “the quality control officer” for the show: reviewing, revising, approving and at times completely rewriting almost all scripts. And rare for an editor, reporters almost always feel their stories are vastly better for having been “Bransonized.” He started in TV as a news writer at KPIX. And before that, at his beloved Cal, went from student reporter to copy editor, managing editor and finally editor of the Daily Californian during the tumultuous 60’s and 70’s. For fun, Jim is an original member and current commissioner of the Desk League, founded at KGO and KTVU in 1981, the oldest continuing fantasy baseball league on the west coast. He’s also won two Emmy® awards and is a member of the U.S. Holocaust Museum, B’Nai B’Rith, ACLU, and Amnesty International.Beginning at CBS 5, as a reporter/anchor in January 1984 Kelly has held a number of anchoring and reporting roles. She and reporter Doug Murphy were co-anchors on Eyewitness News at 6:30 and 11 pm on the weekends; with Dave McElhatton on Eyewitness News weeknights at 11 pm; a co-anchor of the 5 and 10 pm newscasts and with Ken Bastida on the early morning news. In 1984, Kate Kelly was named the outstanding young journalist by the Association of Professional Journalists. In 2002, Kate won the RTNDA Award for Outstanding News Series for “The Alaskan Refuge: America’s Treasure, America’s Oil.” Over the years Kelly has been nominated several times for local Emmy® awards. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in communications in 1979. Kelly began her broadcast career as a reporter/anchor for KRCR-TV in Redding, CA. In 1980 she moved to Austin, Texas to work as a reporter for KVUE-TV. Two years later, she became the 6 p.m. weeknight co-anchor. While Kelly served as news anchor, the station won the UPI and AP Best Newscast Award in Texas for three years in a row. A Bay Area native, Kelly was born and raised in Marin. She currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.
2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Doug McKnight
KGO 7, KICU 36, KMST
Doug spent his first years in television at WJRT in Flint, Michigan starting in 1968. He joined KGO-TV in 1977 in the news department where he established the station’s first Special Projects unit in news. Doug left KGO-TV to establish a news department for KICU in San Jose and became their first news director. During his career in the Bay Area he also free lanced at KPIX, KTVU and KSBW. Doug was on the board of the California Radio Television News Directors Association for more than 10 years and served as its president for two years. In addition, he was also on the board of the California First Amendment Coalition, the NATAS awards committee, the Santa Clara County of SDX, the professional Journalism Society and the Jane Pauley Task Force studying the effectiveness of journalism in schools. Doug is currently the development director at KAZU-FM, at Cal State University, Monterey Bay.
2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Nancy Osborne
KFSN ABC 30
Nancy Osborne has made Fresno her home since 1973. After growing up on Army bases in the United States, Japan and Turkey, Nancy graduated from Las Cruces High School in New Mexico and attended New Mexico State University for 3 years. After a 5-year hiatus from her education and early parenthood, she returned to college. Following a year of graduate study, she accepted a reporting job at ABC 30, becoming one of only a handful of women in the local broadcast industry. In the fall of 1977, Nancy joined the anchor team at KFSN-TV. By 1980 she was producing and anchoring the Valley’s first locally produced news magazine show along with her Action News co-anchoring duties. In 1996, after two decades of daily news reporting, Nancy accepted the challenge of becoming part of the Action News management team as Executive Producer-Special Projects. January 2004 saw Nancy returning to reporting full time, once again adding her experience and expertise to their expanding daily Action News coverage. In addition, she continues to co-anchor “Action News Live at Five” with Warren Armstrong. Nancy is on the NATAS Board of Governors as the Fresno Vice President.
2020 Gold Circle Honoree
2005 Silver Circle Honoree
Don R. Sharp
KRON 4, KPIX CBS 5
For more than 50 years, Don Sharp has been an innovator and respected newsroom leader. He held key news management roles at two network-owned television stations in San Francisco. His broadcast career began in San Diego in 1967 where he was one of the first African Americans employed by KOHO-TV, a Time-Life station. Sharp was hired as a film processer and soon promoted to news and sports photographer. In 1969, KRON-TV in San Francisco recruited him as News Film Supervisor. He stayed at the station 36 years. During his tenure at KRON, Sharp was promoted to News Operations Manager and Associate News Director. While at the station, Sharp designed and installed the first bridge traffic cameras on the Golden Gate, Bay and San Mateo Bridges, and led KRON’s transition from film to digital editing. He also launched the first live helicopter in San Francisco. In 2005, Sharp was hired by CBS-owned station KPIX where he became a central newsroom leader responsible for technical operations. He helped produce coverage of the Bay Bridge’s new eastern span and oversaw unprecedented use of drone video in news. Sharp co-authored a book in 1985 entitled Microwaves Made Simple. It became a teaching textbook at Stanford University. Sharp is the recipient of six Emmy® Awards. In 2018, he was honored with the NATAS Governors’ Citation and inducted into Silver Circle in 2005. He also received the APTRA Broadcast Hall of Fame Award in 2009.
2004 Silver Circle Honoree
Lloyd La Cuesta
KTVU Channel 2
Before coming to KTVU in August 1976, Lloyd LaCuesta worked as a writer/editor for KNX/CBS Radio in Los Angeles and as a writer/producer for KABC-TV in Los Angeles and KGO-TV in San Francisco. He now reports news stories from the greater San Jose area, as KTVU’s South Bay bureau chief. He has won Emmy Awards, received honors from the Peninsula Press Club and the Associated Press. Lloyd has been very active in bringing more minorities into the field of journalism. He is a past National President of the Asian American Journalists Association and was the first National President of Unity ’94, which organized the first National Convention of America’s Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American Journalists.
2004 Silver Circle Honoree
Greg Lyon
KRON 4
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2004 Silver Circle Honoree
Doug Murphy
KPIX CBS 5
Veteran KPIX 5 anchor and reporter Doug Murphy co-anchors the Eyewitness News Weekend Editions. He started in 1982 at first as a reporter then anchoring in the late eighties. Doug’s career began at Ohio State University doing color commentary for Ohio State football games. He moved to WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio to work as a sports reporter, booth announcer and weatherman. Then it was on to Houston where he was a sportscaster and reporter. In 1977 he began anchoring the first “Live on 5” show in the country. While at KTRK-TV, Doug won several Associated and United Press awards for best sports reporting. At KPIX, Doug won an Emmy as well as numerous AP and RTNDA awards. Most recently he was awarded the 2004 APTRA of California and Nevada, Bill Stout Memorial Award for Excellence in Spot News Coverage.
2004 Silver Circle Honoree
Jennifer Smith
KXTV News 10
Jennifer Smith currently co-anchors “News10 at 6:00” and “News10 Midday” She has been with KXTV since 1980. She has been recognized with two Emmy® Awards in the “Best Newscast” category. She has also received awards from AP and RTNDA for the best newscast in California as well as the National Headliners Award for best half-hour newscast in the country. Jennifer has also been recognized by area business and professional clubs as Young Career Woman of the Year and Woman of the Year. Before coming to News10, Jennifer worked as a reporter and anchor at WSET in Lynchburg, Virginia and WWBT in Richmond, Virginia.
2025 Gold Circle Honoree
2004 Silver Circle Honoree
Pamela Young
KPIX 5, KQED 9, KITV 4, KHON 2
Being a woman breaking into television news in 1974, there have been many firsts for Pamela Young. Working at KPIX on the show called All Together Now with the legendary Belva Davis (SC ’89), she became the first Asian American reporter to work on that program.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Young came to the mainland to attend San Francisco State University, graduating in 1973. Those were the early days of TV and most newsrooms were packed with men. There were very few women. But that didn’t stop her.
Young stayed at KPIX for a year then moved over to PBS station KQED. Eventually, she returned home to Hawaii, taking a job as an anchor/reporter for KHON. She’s received 12 Emmy® Awards.
In 1984, Young launched a show in Hawaii called Mixed Plate and it’s still on the air today. It’s about a little bit of everything. “Something Japanese, Chinese, Filipino.” Young has written a travel column, and a book entitled My Name Is Makia Malo about an 80-year-old person who was living with leprosy.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Joel Bartlett
KPIX 5, KGO 7
Joel has had over 30 years experience as a meteorologist. He first served as a weather officer for the U.S. Air Force. Before coming to ABC7, where he is the weather anchor on the Morning News and the midday newscast, he was an on-air meteorologist at KPIX-TV for 13 years. He is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist, a recipient of the ‘Seal of Approval for Television Weathercasting’ and just recently won a 2002 Emmy award for Weathercasting.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Al Bullock
KGO 7
Al’s career in SF TV spanned more then 30 years beginning when he was hired as a stringer by KGO-TV in 1960. He remained with KGO as a staff news photographer until his retirement in 1993. During that time he had a hand in coverage of virtually every major Bay Area new event from the student disorders of the 60’s to the kidnapping Patty Hearst, from the mass suicide of Jim Jones, to the assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Al was also instrumental in helping publicize and promote the “Little People’s Fishing program” operated by the SFPD. Twice named Cameraman of the year by the CPPA, plus numerous other awards. He has served as president of the Peninsula Press Club.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Lois Hart
KCRA 3, CNN
Lois Hart’s first northern California tour of duty began in the 1970s at KOVR and KCRA TV. In 1980 she left to join the CNN news organization and co-anchored CNN’s very first news broadcast. She remained at CNN for eight years before leaving to join CNBC, NBC’s foray into cable television, in 1989. Lois also inaugurated the first broadcast of CNBC. Her ability to handle specialized consumer and business news for CNBC was evident in her co-anchoring successes on “CNBC Mornings,” “Money Wheel” and “America’s Vital Signs.” When Lois returned to KCRA TV in 1990, she anchored the weekend newscasts. Her partner at work is also her partner in life. Lois is married to her KCRA co-anchor Dave Walker. They anchor the 5p.m., 6:30p.m. and 11 p.m. news.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Dr. David Hosley
KCSM, KQED, KVIE
David Hosley had a head start on a career in broadcasting. At 14, he was announcing sports broadcasts on KPRL-AM in Paso Robles. Hosley has been president and general manager of KVIE-TV, Sacramento, since 1998. He was hired at KCBS while a student at Stanford University, putting himself through a doctoral program at Columbia University by working at WCBS-AM in New York. He was a writer at KGO-TV, entertainment reporter for WUFT-TV, Florida in the 1980’s while serving as news director of WRUF-AM/FM. Upon returning to California in 1986, Hosley was a lecturer in communications at Stanford, worked at KPIX-TV, and become station manager of KQED-FM in 1987. Promoted to general manager of KQED-TV in 1990, he went on to manage KCSM-TV/FM in 1992. David has served two board terms for the Golden Gate chapter of American Women in Radio and Television, and is a member of the new AWRT chapter in Sacramento. In Florida he was active in RTNDA and chaired the state’s AP Broadcasters Association. While in Miami, Hosley built an after-school high school internship program that was recognized for its innovation by the Black Media Coalition.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Cheryl Jennings
KGO ABC 7
Cheryl Jennings joined ABC7 in 1979 as a general assignment reporter and became the weekend news anchor in 1986. In 1988, she was promoted to weekday anchor. Cheryl is a pioneer in reporting on children’s issues, women’s rights and domestic violence and has been recognized locally and nationally for her active involvement. She was inducted into the Silver Circle in 2003. Also that year, Cheryl received a congressional commendation from Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey for her services to the community. In addition, Cheryl received the Academy’s highest honor “The Governors’ Award” in 2009. Cheryl has also been honored for her news reporting during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. She was the first ABC7 reporter on the air with live, late-breaking news reports, as the aftershocks continued to rock the station. Cheryl began her broadcasting career in 1974 at a San Francisco radio station. She worked as a reporter, anchor and a news director before moving to television. In 1980, her documentary on sexual harassment of women in the work force received an award of merit from the National Commission on the status of women. Jennings attended both San Francisco State University and City College, where she majored in broadcast communication and journalism.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
John Odell
KPIX 5, KGO 7, City College
John’s first experience in television took place in 1973 at KPBS-TV in San Diego where he was employed as an engineer and staff announcer. In 1976 he joined KPIX as an evening news editor. While at KPIX he was a part of the original production team of “Evening Magazine”. He then moved to KGO-TV in 1982 where he worked as a videotape editor, writer, producer and talent. In 1994 he left KGO-TV to become a free lance editor and producer handling assignments with national news organizations including ABC News and CBS News. John has been a recipient of many outstanding awards that include seven Emmys and a silver medal in the New York International Film and Television Festival. He has long been an active member in NATAS serving on numerous committees and is a past president, governor and national trustee of the Northern California chapter. He is currently an instructor in broadcasting at City College of San Francisco.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Tom Vacar
KGO ABC 7, KTVU Channel 2
Tom started his career in 1977 in Cleveland on WJW-TV on “PM Magazine”. In 1979 he went to KGO, then KCBS, KTTV and is presently at KTVU. As a consumer reporter he has helped recall more than a million Dodge vans, helped brought passage of proposition 103, is the founder of the Great American Toy Test which is in its 24th year. He has attained more than 40 major journalism awards. His passion for the business is quite evident. He hasn’t missed a day of work since 1980. The Great American Toy Test was nominated for a National Community Service Award Emmy this year. His producer is Sharon Navratil, who is also his wife.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Dave Walker
KCRA 3, CNN
Dave’s television career began at WESH in Orlando, Fla. He became a popular figure with northern California viewers at KOVR during the 1970s. In 1980, Dave, and his wife Lois Hart, anchored the very first CNN news broadcast, and continued with CNN for eight years, anchoring prime time newscasts as well as a two hour interview program, “Take Two.” In 1989, Dave joined CNBC, where he inaugurated the first CNBC newscast and anchored “CNBC Mornings,” “Money Wheel” and “America’s Vital Signs.” Dave and Lois returned to KCRA in 1990 as the weekend evening anchor team. They moved to the weeknight slot in 1994. Dave and Lois now anchor the 5, 6:30 and 11 p.m. newscast on channel 3.
2003 Silver Circle Honoree
Jan Yanehiro
KPIX 5, Academy of Arts University
Jan hosted “Evening Magazine” on KPIX from 1976 to 1990 . It was this program that the magazine format for television was born. She has won many awards for this show and says it was “the best job in the world”. In subsequent years she has been hosting documentaries on the Japanese American Experience during World War II. To date, she has raised the funds to produce and host six documentaries. Her proudest moment was being included in Stanford Chen’s book “Counting on Each Other”…as a “pioneer” in broadcasting. She now owns her own production company, Yanehiro Inc.
2002 Silver Circle Honoree
John Catchings
KGO 7, KPIX 5, Catchings & Assoc.
John Catching's career in broadcasting started in radio serving first as a disc jockey at San Francisco’s KMPX in 1964. At KFRC in 1966, John reported news and sports plus hosted a weekly talk and music show. In 1972, he joined ABC, serving as program director for their FM station, KSFX. He moved to the television side in 1977, joining KGO-TV where he remained for 13 years, serving first as an assignment editor and later as executive producer for the 11 p.m. news. There he gained the reputation of being the person to go to when you wanted it done right. He also served as interim news director. KPIX became John’s home in 1990, working first as executive producer for KPIX sports, then as director of local programming and production and, ultimately, as the station’s operations director. John started his own consulting firm last year and also produces the “Bay to Breakers” and San Francisco 49’ers pre-season games. John is a member of the Board of Governors of NATAS serving as Membership Chair and Archive and Museum Co-chair.
2002 Silver Circle Honoree
Rosy Chu
KTVU Channel 2
Rosy Chu, director of community affairs and public service for KTVU Fox 2, also produces and hosts Bay Area People, a weekly, half-hour public affairs program. She is also co-director of Family 2 Family, KTVU’s award winning, public affairs project that stresses educational concerns and stories about people and/or programs that make an educational difference in children’s lives. Rosy joined KTVU after graduating from San Francisco State University in 1971. She is a member of many of the Bay Area’s non-profit organizations and a winner of numerous awards, including a local Emmy. Rosy served on the NATAS Board from 1981 to 1986.
2002 Silver Circle Honoree
Wayne Freedman
KRON 4, CBS, KGO ABC 7
KGO-TV’s Wayne Freedman began his television career as a network page for ABC in Los Angeles. By 1975, while still attending UCLA, he began working full-time in the newsroom at KABC-TV, where he remained until graduation in 1977. In 1978, while reporting and teaching at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Wayne earned a Masters Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. Between 1979 and 1981, Wayne took reporting jobs at WLKY and WAVE in Louisville, followed by KDFW in Dallas. By July 1981, he had signed a contract at KRON, staying there until joining KPIX News in 1989. In 1991, Wayne moved to KGO, where he remains today. Wayne is a two-time NATAS governor, a long-standing member of the Awards Committee and a 43-time Emmy Award recipient. Although he is best known for human-interest features, you’re just as likely to see him working any kind of assignment. Wayne also conducts seminars about television news storytelling and writing. Wayne was a member of the NATAS Board in 1988-90 and 1992-94.
2002 Silver Circle Honoree
Don McCuaig
KTVU Channel 2
Don McCuaig's first employment in television took place in 1969 at KBHK. He then joined KTVU as a photographer, where he has remained for more than 30 years. His position as a photographer and special projects producer has allowed him to record and bring to the Bay Area some outstanding events throughout the world. Along with Leslie Griffith, he took local children to Finland to meet Russian children and then on to Moscow to meet then-President Mikhail Gorbachev. He brought us pictures from Vietnam where four Bay Area fathers were reunited with their wartime children. He covered the fall of the Marcos regime in the Philippines, Princess Diana’s funeral in London and documented the return of veterans to Guadalcanal and Normandy. Don also covered the hurricane that devastated Honduras and witnessed the eerie remains of Jonestown 20 years later. Locally, he was the first to bring us live HDTV shots from the Chinese New Year’s parade and was the first to use Hi-8 and mini-digital formats on the air. Together with Bob Mackenzie, they invented Segment Two. His footage of the 1991 Loma Prieta earthquake was seen around the world.
2002 Silver Circle Honoree
Barbara Rodgers
KPIX CBS 5
Barbara Rodgers anchors KPIX’s Eyewitness News at Noon, co-anchors Eyewitness News at 4:30pm and hosts Bay Sunday, KPIX’s weekly public affairs program. She joined KPIX in 1979 after seven years at WOKR in Rochester, NY. She is a member and co-founder of the Bay Area Black Journalists Association, has served on the boards of various organizations, including the World Affairs Council of Northern California and the Society of Professional Journalists, and has volunteered her time to scores of community groups. In June 1997, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of Walden House, a non-profit health and human services program specializing in substance abuse treatment for people of all ages. Barbara has received numerous honors for her work and community service. They include the prestigious William Benton Fellowship in Broadcast Journalism in 1985; five local Emmy awards; four Excellence in Journalism awards from the National Association of Black Journalists; and reporting awards from the Associated Press, United Press International and the Peninsula Press Club. Barbara served on the NATAS board from 1992 to 1996.
2002 Silver Circle Honoree
Bill Schechner
KQED 9, NBC, KPIX CBS 5
After a brief career in radio, BILL SCHECHNER was hired as a reporter for the KQED Newsroom in 1972. He joined KPIX in 1976, working as a general assignment reporter. His Schechner’s Journal series picked up two Emmy awards. In 1981, he joined the NBC television network as a national correspondent and worked as a co-anchor, with Linda Ellerbee, on NBC News Overnight. Bill returned to KPIX in 1992, working as a morning and noon news anchor as well as a general assignment reporter. Bill is known as one of the best story tellers in the business. He also produced Bay Area Newsreel for Kids, a weekly news program for teen-agers. In addition to the Emmy awards, Bill is also the recipient of a DuPont/Columbia University Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Charitas Award.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Ed Arnow
KRON 4, KPIX 5, KGO 7
After a number of years as a reporter for KNBC radio in San Francisco, Ed Arnow moved to the NBC network in 1955, covering stories for radio and becoming NBC’s first network Northern California TV news correspondent. He left NBC in 1965 to join the faculty of UC-Berkeley teaching classes in radio and television reporting while serving as a weekend reporter for KGO-TV. In 1970 he joined the staff of KPIX as a reporter where he remained for 13 years. While there Ed was the recipient of two Emmy® awards, one for documentary reporting of illegal immigrants in California and another for the reporting of the Managua earthquake. He also earned a San Francisco Press Club reporting award. In the next few years he worked for KRON-TV as a business and financial news specialist. In 1985 he became the West Coast correspondent for the Wall Street Journal Reports television show. He joined KGO-TV in 1988 for a two-year period taking on the position of writer-producer for KGO-TV news. Ed is an active member of the Broadcast Legends.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Faith Fancher
KTVU Channel 2
Faith Fancher’s broadcasting career began in college at WBIR-TV/Radio in Knoxville as a radio news writer. After graduation in 1972, she war hired by WBIR as a reporter. Faith was subsequently hired by WSM-TV in Nashville as a TV correspondent. She worked at NBN, NPR and CNN before joining KTVU in 1983. She has won many awards and is active in NABJ. Faith has been battling breast cancer for several years. She chose to help fight the battle by sharing her story with the KTVU audience. Her Friends of Faith foundation has raised funds to fight breast cancer. Faith received the NATAS 2000 Goverenors’ Citation for taking her story to her viewing audience.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Harry Fuller
KGO 7, KPIX 5, Tech TV, CNET
If there ever was a classic example of the messenger that made good, this is it. Harry Fuller started his television career as a messenger for KPIX in January, 1969, and by the mid 90’s he was the station general manager. His decision to choose news as his route to major success paid off for him. Later at KPIX he rose to the position of assistant news director. He worked at KPIX three times, KGO-TV twice. In 1972 he was hired by KGO to produce the Bay Area’s first hour-long newscast, at 430PM. By 1975 he was back at KPIX (after a two-year hiatus in the Midwest). There he was producer, executive producer, assistant news director. Then in 1977 he was hired away by KGO-TV as morning assignment editor where he eventually moved up to the position of news director in 1985. While at KGO-TV, Harry gained a reputation for encouraging aggressive news reporting, earning for the station a trademark for “jumping” on breaking news. He oversaw coverage of the Milk-Moscone murders, the hundreds of deaths at People’s Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, and the start of the AIDS epidemic. Under his leadership the station earned Emmy, Edward R. Murrow and Peabody awards for its coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. In 1990 KGO news put reporter Paul Wynne on the air to report on his own imminent demise from AIDS. No other AIDS victim had ever talked straight to TV viewers before and the series drew news attention from across the globe. Later that year KPIX lured Fuller back where he first served as the news director earning numerous Emmys for that station, and later as the station’s general manager. In 1995 KPIX built one of the first local TV station websites in the nation. In 1998 Harry joined ZDTV as news director where he led that network’s ground-breaking coverage of the computer industry and the digital economy. In October, 2001, he joined CNBC Europe where he was executive producer and then assignment manager. After four years in London he returned to San Francisco as executive producer of video at CNET. Fuller retired in 2007. Since retirement he moved to Oregon and has published natural history books, including San Francisco’s Natural History, Sand Dunes to Streetcars. He regularly writes about birding at atowhee.blog.
2004 Gold Circle Honoree
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Vic Sterling
KRON 4, KOVR 13
Vic started his broadcasting career in 1952 as a radio disc jockey but moved quickly into television joining KJEO Fresno in 1956 as on-camera talent doing news and hosting movies. In 1962 he joined KCRL in Reno as their first announcer-director. He moved from that to news anchor, sports director and ultimately program director. Vic then moved on to what became a 20-year run at KRON-TV in San Francisco as announcer-director. While at KRON-TV he worked as a stage manager and associate director for NBC Sports on West Coast telecasts of the World Series, Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and numerous football and basketball games. In 1986 Vic joined the staff of KOVR-TV in Sacramento as an an nouncer and director.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Wendy Tokuda
KRON 4, KPIX CBS 5
Wendy Tokuda began her television career at KING-TV in Seattle starting as a secretary in Public Affairs. She became a news reporter for KING-TV in 1975. Wendy then joined KPIX in 1978 as a reporter and anchor. In 14 years at KPIX she won almost every honor that can be awarded to a local broadcast journalist. For her series, “Beating the Odds” that profiled extraordinary high school students who overcame tough odds to succeed in school and life, she was presented with a Golden Mike Award, a Los Angeles Press Club Award and a National Emmy Award. She left the Bay Area for a five-year stint in Los Angeles, anchoring the 6 p.m. news for NBC 4. She returned to the Bay Area in 1997 joining KRON as a co-anchor on the 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. news programs. In addition to her many awards for broadcast journalism, Wendy’s strong commitment to the community brought to her numerous community service commendations and awards including a Leadership Award from the Japanese American Youth Council and honors from the American Women in Radio and Television.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Rita Williams
KTVU Channel 2
Proving again that internship programs really work, Rita williams was one of ten people selected among 1000 applicants as management trainees at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. She learned her lessons well. It paved the way for a job in news at KSAT-TV in San Antonio, Texas as a reporter and anchor in 1975 where she remained for three years. She then moved into the Bay Area in 1978 taking a job at KQED-TV as a reporter doing daily news and documentaries. With that experience behind her she moved on to the position of San Francisco Bureau chief/reporter for KTVU in 1980. She remains with KTVU, now assigned to reporting general news, politics and crime in the Bay Area. Rita has been the recipient of a number of awards for her excellence in reporting from various organizations, including the American Bar Association and National Criminal Justice plus nominations from the Northern California Emmy Awards for breaking news and general assignment reporting.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
Pete Wilson
KTXL 40, KRON 4, KGO ABC 7
Pete Wilson enjoys a well-deserved reputation for being one of the best-informed news anchors in the Bay Area. His comfortable style and his natural ability to communicate with viewers and with guests have established him as one of the most popular news anchors in the Bay Area. He began his career in 1971 at Milwaukee’s WTMJ writing and reporting radio news and later television news reporting and producing/hosting an early morning talk show. In 1979 he moved on to the then-independent station, KTXL in Sacramento, with the task of building a news operation from “almost scratch” to the second highest rated news in the market. Pete joined KGO-TV in 1983 to anchor the 11 p.m. news, later including the early evening news shows and hosting numerous news/talk show specials. He joined KRON-TV in 1990, co-anchoring their news shows as well as hosting news/talk shows on Bay-TV, KRON’S cable channel. Pete has received a number of broadcast journalism awards, including five Emmys, four RTNDA awards, a St. Francis award, the Associated Press Awards and the prestigious Peabody Award.. He volunteers extensively in the community in various organizations involved with mental health, the visually handicapped, alcohol treatment and child abuse prevention.
2001 Silver Circle Honoree
William Winter
KPIX 5, KGO 7
After serving as a news correspondent for the OWi during World War II, Bill joined KPIX and became this area’s first news anchorman. Following ten years of hosting such dignitaries as Dag Hammarskjold and Adlai Stevenson on Channel 5, he appeared on ABC Television and KGO-TV for a number of years. He is now retired and lives in Southern California.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Stan Burford
Traffic Man, KGO ABC 7
In more than forty years in radio and television broadcasting, STAN BURFORD has practically done it all. First employed as a stage manager at KPIX in 1964, he moved on to announcer, producer, director, promotion manager, executive producer positions at a variety of television stations including KCTF-TV (Concord), KNEW-TV, KBHK-TV, KVZK-TV (Samoa) and KGO-TV.
Along the way, he taught broadcasting & production and equipment training at Ampex, the government of Samoa and San Francisco State University. As executive producer with KGO-TV, he received 14 Emmy nominations for outstanding achievement in local programming.
Stan was the longest running president of the Northern California chapter of the Academy (5 years) and also served as national trustee.
For the past many years he has been the “most trusted guy in the sky” traffic reporter for KGO radio and KGO-TV.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Sam Ewing III
Gill Cable
A true pioneer in the strictest sense, SAM EWING III was there when it started. As early as 1949 he formed an advertising agency specializing in TV commercial production and program production.
As writer-producer Sam created such shows as “Treasure Tune Clock” and “The Rusty Draper Show,” for KGO-TV; “What is It?” and “The Sandy Spillman Show,” for KPIX-TV; and “Stop the Press,” “Uncle George’s Cartoon Circus” and “Sweepstakes” for KRON-TV. He also produced the Bay Area’s first weather show, “Weatherama” featuring George Lamont for KGO-TV.
He also created, wrote and produced the nationally syndicated show, “Wonders of the World” and the NBC-TV program, “The Mysterious Universe” with Tom Groody.
During his career in broadcasting, he authored three books on the industry. Sam later became involved in Cable-TV production serving 18 years for Gill Cable.
In semi-retirement, he continues to keep busy as a free-lance writer. Sam now lives is Port Angeles, Washington. He will turn 80 on December 13th.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Dennis Fitch
KGO 7, The Agency
DENNIS FITCH first appeared on the Bay Area television scene in July 1966 at KTVU-TV. He moved on to KBHK-TV in 1969 and later joined KEMO-TV (now KBWB). Dennis became Promotion Director at KGO-TV in 1972. He than moved to the same job at KRON-TV where he remained until he took on a promotion director’s position with the ABC Network in 1982.
Seven years later, he started his own company calling it “The Agency,” a marketing firm with entertainment clients large and small including “3rd Rock,” “Oprah” and “Xena.”
Dennis has always been a fierce competitor in the business of boosting program ratings, but as he reminds his audiences in speaking engagements, “Winning includes more than ratings. It includes a sense and consideration of and for community needs.
2008 Gold Circle Honoree
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Jack Hanson
KRON 4, KGO 7
Jack Hanson began his broadcast career in the KPIX mailroom after serving in the U.S. Air Force and graduating from San Francisco State. Since then, Jack has brought his dry wit to KRON, KPIX, KTVU, KGO-TV and the Cable Health Network. Currently, Jack is the Host of Comcast Newsmakers, a news interview program on CNN Headline News on Comcast. In 1957, the third generation San Franciscan landed a Stage Manager’s job at KRON working on live shows such as NBC’s Wide Wide World. In 1961, he started doing regular on-camera fill-in work. Then came a 13-week stint as the Host on Watch and Win, a live quiz show on KTVU-TV. By the mid-1960’s, he was hosting his own regular program six days a week on KPIX. Jack’s Place featured Jack interviewing local celebrities and drawing cartoons. Those cartoons ultimately became his trademark. As the weatherman on KGO-TV, he drew cartoons on the weather map – such as one of a shivering dog at the coldest spot in the country. He also co-hosted KGO’s morning talk show A.M. San Francisco for 5 years with former Miss America, Nancy Fleming. Jack is a published cartoonist; has done artwork for the Sierra Club’s publication; appeared on television, movies, commercials, industrial television programs; hosted award shows; and served as emcee for many charities such as Juvenile Diabetes and the S.F. Youth Guidance Center.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Paul Jeschke
KGO 7
PAUL JESCHKE is perhaps one of the most familiar faces among field reporters in the San Francisco Bay Area. He first worked as a reporter for United Press International in Albany, New York. He continued with UPI in San Francisco covering the Berkeley riots, People’s Park, the Oakland Draft Board riots and the topless craze.
Paul’s entry into the business of television came in 1969 as the producer of the “Don Sherwood/Carter Smith Report” on KBHK-TV. In 1974, Paul moved to KPIX where he produced “The 6:00 News.” Within six months he was appointed news director, a position he held for two years.
In 1976, Paul returned to KGO-TV, producing at various times, the 4:30, 6:00 and 11:00 o’clock news broadcasts.
Paul received an Emmy® in 1976 for breaking news and an RTNDA award in 1986 for best multi-part series. In 1987 he moved into the reporting side of television news and continued his on-air career until his retierment last month.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Manny Ramos
KPIX CBS 5
An internship at KNTV-TV in San Jose opened the door for MANNY RAMOS that led to a job as vacation relief reporter in 1974 with KOVR-TV in Sacramento. In 1979, he joined KRON-TV and became their South Bay Bureau Reporter. He became a general assignment reporter for KPIX-TV in 1981 and later served as South Bay Bureau Chief.
Manny is the recipient of a number of awards including an Emmy® for Best Live Reporting on the Los Gatos fire; and in 1985, 1990 and 1991 he received Peninsula Press Club awards for news writing, feature reporting and general news reporting.
He serves on the Board of Directors for Latinos in Communication and is involved in raising scholarships for those interested in entering broadcasting similar to the one he received that allowed him entry in the business of television.
assination with numerous follow up stories, and his award winning story of the Sarah Jane Moore attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Don Sanchez
KGO ABC 7
Having spent 28 years with one station, KGO-TV, DON SANCHEZ is probably one of the most familiar faces in Bay Area television history. Don’s broadcast career started as a disc jockey and program director at KSEE-AM in Santa Maria followed by reporting and anchoring news for KSBY in San Luis Obispo.
He joined the KGO news team in 1972. Don has anchored virtually every newscast on that station, plus served as co-host on “Good Morning Bay Area” over a two year period interviewing a “Who’s Who” of guests.
As a feature reporter, Don received his first Emmy® in 1978 for “White Water River Rafting.” He has served as a full time crime reporter. In one report, he captured a murderer’s confession live on camera. As a sports reporter, he covered the 49er’s Super Bowl victory in 1985, the Warriors playoff, and the A’s and Giants as they competed for their division titles.
Don won his second Emmy® for his reports on the competition of disabled young athletes at the Special Olympic Games.
2000 Silver Circle Honoree
Ben Williams
KPIX 5
After studying journalism at Lincoln University in Missouri and San Francisco State, BEN WILLIAMS began his professional career in the news business as a reporter, columnist and feature writer for several black newspapers including the St. Louis Argus and the San Francisco Sun Reporter.
He became the first black reporter hired by KPIX in 1966 where he continued for 25 years. During this time, Ben worked as a reporter, weekend anchor and East Bay bureau chief.
Over the years, he was the recipient of a number of honors including the Edward McQuade Award, Broadcast Media Award from SF State, the San Francisco Press Club Award (twice), two Emmys®, the National Association of Black Journalists Award and the Society of Professional Journalists Award.
Two of his biggest stories included the Robert Kennedy assassination with numerous follow up stories, and his award winning story of the Sarah Jane Moore attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford.