FLASH: MELROSE SET TO RETIRE FROM KCBS
Bob Melrose, a pioneer at KCBS-- the esteemed street reporter extraordinaire, is hanging it up after 36 years at the all-news station.
Melrose is set to retire effective April 12.
Melrose began his career at KCBS in the mid 1970's. His straight-forward, no-nonsense delivery, his signature calm even reporting live from some of the most heated stories drew him praise from both listeners and those in the biz alike.
He covered some of the biggest Bay Area stories, including the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the Oakland Hills Fire, along with major court stories like the San Francisco Dog Mauling and the Scott Peterson Murder cases. He’s also witnessed four executions at San Quentin and was the first reporter on-scene, live from the Caldecott Tunnell fire tragedy in 1982.
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A class act... he will be missed...
ReplyDeleteA fine veteran indeed !!
ReplyDeleteHe's such a dedicated reporter that even in retirement I predict when Bob sees smoke...he'll race toward it.
ReplyDeleteMelrose..you are a god..in this household!
ReplyDeleteSomeone else will go out to Oakland and elsewhere around the Bay to cover the everyday and often un-sensational stories that add up to real life in this corner of the planet, and will probably do it very competently, but there will be no replacing Bob Melrose.
ReplyDeleteNick--
DeleteI was just going to type my sentiments about Bob M.......and then read your applause. Could not say it ANY better! Hooray for Bob.
And thanks for the memories.
One of the greatest reporters in Bay Media history! Caldecott 82 alone puts Melrose at the top of the list. Wish him the best in retirement knowing a lot of folks will miss him, especially at KCBS.
ReplyDeleteMr. Melrose was easy to take for granted. Steady, objective--what more can you ask for?
ReplyDeleteWhile radio news will continue; the art of a good street reporter is a dying breed. It is important to know your territory, know the history and know the players. Bob knew it well and did his homework. Dick Leanord of KCBS and KGO was one of the best radio street reporters ever, and Bob fits that mold. No hype and no bull shit, just the facts, thats Melrose. Like Barbara Taylor and Mike Colgan, KCBS is blessed with excellent talent.
ReplyDeletei remember caledecott tunnel 1982' i was closing bart agent at walnut creek, i thought i loss my last bus ac driver and he had traded with a driver..i was listening that night as i drove home..great work bob and happy retirement
ReplyDeleteIn an era when far too many talented people don't get to take a well-earned "victory lap" after decades of service, nice to see Melrose get to leave on his own terms. He will be missed.
ReplyDeleteI'm old enough to remember Bob when he was working at KNBA in Vallejo for the 'legendary' Lou Ripa, who owned and operated that station.
ReplyDeleteThis was back in the mid 1970s, just before Bob got his big break and went to KCBS.
KNBA was one of those community radio stations that have long since disappeared (others in the area were stations such as KTIM in San Rafael that also no longer exists). Bob 'cut his teeth' in the Vallejo 'market' and was able to get the promotion to the big time that he richly deserved. The rest as they say,
is history!
Congratulations Bob on a terrific career. You were always one of the best and brightest and hardest working radio reporters this area has ever seen. Unfortunately, there are not any new young 'Bob Melroses' coming out of the minor league ranks of radio anymore, as the powers that be (with the possible exception locally of KCBS), don't value solid radio news field reporters.
It's the end of the an era!
Very bittersweet. Mr. Melrose retires on his own terms while at the same time we realize this type of professional is one of the last few who may never be seen again. Cheers Mr. Melrose!
ReplyDeleteA big loss for KCBS. His replacement will be tough to match his quality of work
ReplyDeleteA fresh breeze compared to the female "news" and "talk" birther (Melanie Morgan) who reads the local "news" on KSFO without notifying the audience that it is not news but opinionated news reading. She can talk, but she can't think. Mr. Melrose is a real news person; not an imposter.
ReplyDelete@8:23, no actually you're too uneducated to discern the difference between news and talk show commentators. Shut up already.
ReplyDeleteWell. That audience probably does need to be told....but let's concentrate on Melrose shall we? Rock solid. What a fabulous career he's had and to be able to leave on HIS terms. Perfection. Thank you for all you've done to keep us informed Bob.
ReplyDeletehey 10 42am...8:23 is right on about Melanie Morgan who is an embarasassment to radio. It's right-wing zealots and screamers such as Melanie Morgan who have ruined talk radio with their brainless blather about 'birthers' and such!
ReplyDeleteOf course, Melanie is totally clueless when it comes to understanding what America is really all about. She has this absurd view that there are only absolutes and black and white issues in the world. She obviously hasn't hasn't much experience seeing the real world outside of the U.S. or covering the daily news issues around the Bay Area like Bob Melrose.
It's people like Melrose who would have been certainly fair and balanced doing a daily talk show, because he actually knows what he's talking about. Melanie Morgan on the other hand, is a whining little bigot from the suburbs
who worships nit-wits like Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman.
Melenie Morgan doesn't realize how lucky she is that corporate radio has taken over. It's allowed people of her ilk to be on radio and pollute the airwaves with their toxic lies.
And conservatives like to talk about 'the liberal media.'
Liberal media...my ass! How many liberal talk show hosts can you name outside of Colmes, Maher and Olbermann?
As a TV news photog, I always got a chuckle whenever Bob showed up at a crime scene...in his old slacks (sometimes with suspenders), sneakers and a windbreaker...how he'd "school" all the well-dressed/make-up wearing/hairsprayed TV reporters. Lots of TV reporters/writers would listen to his KCBS stories in order to get information for THEIR stories! I can't tell you how many times I'd have to turn down the volume on the scanners or radio so that my reporter could listen to his story before writing their own PKG.
ReplyDeleteHappy Trails, Bob!
The best part of being a reporter competing with Melrose is that he always had food in his truck to share...chips, sodas, etc. It was like he was always stocking provisions for the next big story where we would be on scene all day or night! Cheers Bob! You are one great guy and one great reporter!
ReplyDeleteThere will never be another Bob Melrose... Solid reporter and a true professional who's vast knowledge and experience in Bay Area news reporting will never be duplicated. Don't be surprised if you hear Bob calling in a phoner to KCBS to report from the scene of some breaking news story in the not too distant future.
ReplyDelete