He was the face of San Francisco TV news during most of the 70's and early 80's. And the highest paid too, (an estimated $800,000 annual salary at one point.) He also was the prime anchor on one of the most successful news shows in not only the city, but the entire nation. A show that was the origin of the industry terms, "Happy Talk" and more infamously, "If it bleeds, it leads."
He's Van Amburg, who for seventeen years anchored the news for KGO-TV and in December, 1986 was abruptly fired and hasn't been seen since, at least not in any interviews on the tube, the radio, or in print.
He lived in El Cerrito and is apparently still there, but attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. Numerous folks in the biz haven't a clue what he's been up to. This much is clear: he's still alive.
Amburg, (real name: Fred Van Amburg) was a part of SF broadcast lore, for better or worse. He worked with the late Jerry Jensen, (who died in 1984 due to complications from pancreatic cancer,) Pete Giddings, (weather) and John O'Reilly, (sports.)
All were part of "Channel 7 'NewsScene'. It evolved out of the late 60's and became a local TV staple in the 70's with centerpiece stories like the Patty Hearst kidnapping, the notorious Zebra murders, and both the Jonestown, Guyana massacre and Moscone/Milk assassinations.
Amburg's presence and prominence was so ingrained at KGO, management often sent him on numerous high-profile out-of-town assignments. His on-air demeanor was immensely popular, but off-camera, he was reportedly very difficult to work with. At least that's what the word was at the time.
At its peak in the 70's, KGO's news division was known for its penchant to show graphic images from crime scenes and fires and disasters, thus the "if it 'bleeds, it leads'" label. That formula, combined with splashy news footage and free-for-all chit chit made for Channel 7 dominance for much of the decade.
Amburg won a ton of awards and was featured in many of KGO's promos highlighting the show.
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