Like KTVU's vaunted and uber-branded, "10 o'Clock News", KRON was the ultimate dream gig for all reporters, editors, news directors, and anchor people.
As Tom Sinkovitz pointed out, it produced some of the finest, network-quality newscasts during the 90's and into the early 2000's.
Evan White was one of the most hard-working, dedicated and professional news guys I've ever met. What you saw on the air was what you saw off the air too. Bob Jimenez had migrated from KRON to NBC News for a reason: his credentials were first-rate and over the top. Pete Wilson, the late, great semi "managing editor" was hard-working and as dogged as they come--maybe too much drama for some, but his work superseded anything even remotely negative.
Mark Thompson was not merely a weatherman. Just like Al Goldstein and Herb Dudnick were far bigger and larger figures than mere news directors. At KRON, that distinct, very family-like translated not just inside 1001 Van Ness, but to the viewers as well. KRON dominated; they couldn't touch KTVU at 10 PM, (nobody could either), but they ruled the forest almost every other news block.
Vic Lee? One of the best street and crime reporters in the biz. Glad to see him still working hard over at KGO-TV. Wayne Freedman, with his 2000-plus Emmys, (not a knock) could pull out some of the very finest special reports. With Freedman, it wasn't just the work that was great, but the writing too. (Freedman is also over at KGO).
And yes, let's be fair and not forget Radnich himself. When his game was on, he could do one of the very BEST one-on-one interviews. The split-screen was a Gary delight. And he was the only sports anchor that refused to allow any sort of BS and trite answers from all-too image-conscious jocks and their handlers. "SportsFinal" was a throwback show that was uniquely local, but nationally recognized throughout the industry. Too bad ESPN doesn't even come close today. Oh well.
Yes, the old KRON. For a time, it mattered.
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