The Most-Watched, Successful, Profitable, Legendary, Local TVNews Franchise in the History of the Bay Area

 It was the birthplace of Happy Talk." The industry tag line, "if it bleeds, it leads", for better or worse, originated from its old studios on 277 Golden Gate Ave. In the 70's until the mid 1980's it made the most money of ANY local TV News operation not just in the Bay Area but entire USA.


Local TV watchers made it a point to watch this very San Franciscoish news program complete with its own unique name, "NewsScene." It even born the invention of the lapel called "Circle7".


Live from the unsavory and gritty streets of the Tenderloin; across the street from the famous, (or infamous depending on your stomach); Studio Café; a block from St. Anthony's Dining Room and a stone's throw from City Hall; Van Amburg, Jerry Jenson, John O'Reilly with Sports and Pete Giddings with Weather.




*Follow me on Twitter


*KGO-TV
*NewsScene
*Bay Area TV History

Two ABC/KGO-TV Giants in TV Promo 30 Years Ago Thursday; Peter Jennings and Van Amburg

 Peter Jennings and Van Amburg. About as big as you can get.


Jennings passed away much too soon from throat cancer a few years ago. Amburg is alive and kicking in El Cerrito --retired and resolute to privacy and comfort.


The above promo debuted in February, 1984. Seems like yesterday.


To this day, Amburg was the highest-paid anchor in San Francisco TV broadcasting history at a salary of just over a million dollars. He also had considerable clout inside the KGO-TV newsroom and he flexed it--until the end. The king of "NewsScene" off his throne.


He left KGO--some said he was essentially shown the door, only a few years later. There's a lot of speculation as to who and what were the cause of his professional demise but I know it wasn't a happy ending.


*Follow me on Twitter