Tom Sinkovitz, Bay Area TV News Veteran, Dealing With Cancer And Carrying on With Life

 If ever there were a guy to beat the odds, Tom Sinkovitz is that guy. Not just mere odds involving a game or something else but a life game, the ultimate game-changer, like cancer.

The longtime Bay Area TV anchor (KRON/KNTV) disclosed to me he has stage-4 lung cancer.

The good news is that Sinkovitz, who was last anchoring at NBC Bay Area in December, 2010, received some positive news from his oncologist this week.

"He basically told me the cancer hasn't spread; that it's been isolated and that, for the moment, it's under control. I'm not out of the woods but I feel a helluva lot better and I'm stronger."

Sinkovitz has added some weight too and says he's not as doggedly tired as he used to be and he credits a new super drug called zykadia his doctors have given him as the basis of his physical strength. For the time being, he's getting better.

He's also comforted by his wife, Paula and their two 15 year-old twins. "They've all been remarkable and incredibly comforting. We've been up front about explaining to them what's going on and they are adopting well."

Sinkovitz knows he's got a long road ahead but he's clearly prepared to do battle. "I feel great--every day is a new day."

Let's all pull for the great Sink.

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Tom Sinkovitz Is A Bay Area TV News Anchor Treasure; Shouldn't He Be Back On The Airwaves? Of Course He Should; KRON/KTVU Viable Options; Thursday Opener

 THURSDAY OPENER

Tom Sinkovitz, last I talked to him, was enjoying life with his wife, Paula, and their children, in San Francisco.

Sinkovitz, you may remember, was last seen on the Bay Area airwaves anchoring at KNTV, (NBC Bay Area), and before that, KRON, for almost two decades.

Sinkovitz hasn't retired and does speaking engagements and occasional reporting for out-of-town stations. It was unfortunate we didn't get to see him on Election Night for his always interesting and intriguing political analysis.

Speaking of which: why isn't Tom Sinkovitz on local TV News? Surely, some station out there has an opening for a quality, A-name, first-rate pro like Sinkovitz. I know at least two stations alone who could immediately drive up their ratings and create some buzz by hiring a winner like Sinkovitz who still possesses both visual and name recognition. Sinkovitz has command and presence, not to mention an ocean-liner's worth of news acumen and credibility. That's why it's a shame he isn't broadcasting on local TV.

I've heard all the reasons: he's too old, (he's in his 60's, hardly ready for wasteland); he wants certain hours, (Sinkovitz told me he'd love to come back and work for his first SF station, KRON); he's "dominating"--really? I sure as hell hope so. A dominating newsman with presence --Imagine that!

Stop for a moment and consider what we have here. A dedicated, buoyant, and unbelievably talented newsman with great pipes, immediate viewer recognition and intense Bay Area knowledge who can still light up the screen and command attention. If it sounds like I'm a Sinkovitz fan I am, and more to the point, I've told Sinkovitz myself that the Bay Area is missing the talents of a seasoned veteran.

Sinkovitz, as I pointed out, is enjoying life with his family. He doesn't need the money. He's too proud and accomplished to have to openly woo a news director in town. That's not his style nor his intention. He'll probably needle me for even bringing up this whole notion of him working again on SF TV, God forbid.

Hey, KRON: I know you're about to move into new digs and are busy, but you know how much immediate buzz you'd get by hiring Sinkovitz back? Could you all just imagine a reuniting of Pam Moore and Sinkovitz? And when Pam's off, Catherine Heenan. Hey Gary Radnich? You and Sink back in the saddle, he even liked your jokes, imagine the possibilities.

KRON isn't the only station. I know KGO had some interest a few years back but both sides couldn't work out an arrangement. KPIX might be a player but I know there's a lot of budget constraints at CBS. There's always room for talent though, one would assume. And there's a ND out there who has some moxie and a vision to make something happen; that new lady at KTVU could make a big opening splash by talking to Sinkvitz--he's got one helluva resume I heard.

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KPIX Moves; Stan Bunger and John Madden; Matier and Willie Brown; Have you heard this before? 95.7 FM is in Trouble; KGO-TV's Carolyn Johnson is the First Guest on Lieberman Radio Show Monday; Friday Buzz

New KPIX GM, Bruno Cohen, hasn't made any significant moves since he took over at the local SF O and O, but if a few sources are correct, expect something down the pike. The password is "sports." And keep in mind that the corporate people in NY in charge of the money have been doing a lot of cutting to people who make too much money.

By the way, there are those who insist to me that the current news boss should keep his resume updated.

*KCBS' Stan Bunger: just when you think he's slipping a bit, you get a dose of Bunger at his best, like on Friday morning...lobbing some good openers for John Madden and making the most of Matier and Willie Brown interesting when time interferes. Speaking of which, when it's obvious that there's really little, if any traffic this week, (which is the case), do we always needs a traffic update every 10 minutes? More Madden, less traffic. Every now and then it makes sense.

*An industry wag with about 30+ years in the biz tells me 95.7 FM The Game is in trouble. We've been down this road before haven't we? The wag offers this: "Listen to their ads--mostly all are national spots. Very little local box retail." He went further: "The A's, (the all-sports flagship station carries them), have begun looking for another station after next year." Plus this: "when you can never get a '1-rating and you have a weak signal it's a problem."

*No, I'm not going to suddenly tame down the critique on this site just because I'm about to do a daily talk show. If you'll notice, naysayers, trolls, the guests have been A-rate, some of whom I've been more critical than others, (see: Dan Ashley and Ralph Barbieri). There's a reason why they do the show: Because, like it or not, I'm a damn good interviewer and my show has staying power and will only get better. That's not chest-bumping, just the facts. Deal with it.

*Speaking of the radio show, the first guest to lead us off on Monday is KGO-TV's Carolyn Johnson, straight up at 1 PM PT. If you can't listen live, podcasts will be up the next day.

*Dear KRON: A source close to veteran newsman, Tom Sinkovitz, tells me he would be willing to come back and work with Pam Moore and/or Catherine Heenan and Gary Radnich. And money probably wouldn't be an issue. Food for thought.

*Raj Mathai and Janelle Wang on KNTV, (NBC Bay Area): an acquired taste that is getting much better with time.

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