Hal Fishman Biography

Fast Facts

• Was the longest-running news anchor in American television history
• Won the Governors Award from the Los Angeles chapter of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1987
• Earned his Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and his Master's degree in Political Science from UCLA
• Started out as an assistant professor of political science at California State University in 1960
• Became interested in broadcasting after wandering into the Cornell University campus radio station and trying out for a position on a whim
• Began his broadcasting career when KCOP-TV invited him to teach an on-air politics class during the summer when the Democratic National Convention was being held in Los Angeles
• Quote: "I am not a charismatic broadcaster or a dramatic guy, but I think I am a person that people can trust to give them a straightforward and accurate account of what's going on in the world․ I think that's why I have lasted so long․"
• Quote: "(His first words on television): "Good afternoon, I'm professor Hal Fishman, and this course is certainly quite unique for me, because it's the first course that I have ever taught where the student can turn the professor off․""
• During his long career, he covered major news stories like the Watts riots, the Northridge earthquake, and the assassination of Senator Robert F․ Kennedy
• Best known as a Los Angeles news anchor who spent more than 35 years on "KTLA Prime News․"