1973 Hal Ramey - Willie Mays retires




1987 Stan Bunger - Golden Gate Bridge Anniversary

The iconic suspension bridge of San Francisco celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1987 in style, with crowds, music and fireworks. 

"The bridge was being squashed by the weight of human beings--imagine that."

Stan Bunger grew up in Los Gatos and San Jose before anyone called it the Silicon Valley and actually knows what a prune orchard looks like. He graduated from San Jose’s Leigh High School, West Valley College in Saratoga, and San Francisco State University where he received a B.A. in Radio and Television. Stan has been married since 1977; he and his wife Tharon have two children. He lives in one of the Bay Area's great communities: Alameda. Stan has been fortunate to have spent most of his working life within shouting distance of where he grew up. In King City, Sonora, South Lake Tahoe, and Sacramento, he covered the small stories and the big ones. He first joined KCBS at the young age of 25 in 1982 and stayed for 10 years. During that time, he won or shared in all sorts of prestigious awards including the Peabody Award for KCBS’ coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Stan says he doesn’t get that excited about awards and couldn't even tell you where he stashed them. “I get my fulfillment when people tell me that KCBS is a part of their lives.”

1986 Bob Haulman - Auburn Dam floods
 
The dam at Auburn has been a lightning rod of controversy since devastating floods swept through the Sacramento Valley in 1986, 1995 and 1997.  

“I remember it was the first time I had seen a dam disappear completely before my eyes.”




1983 Diane Kalas - U.S.S. Enterprise returns to Alameda, runs aground:
The USS Enterprise was the nation's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and the eighth vessel to bare the name shared with space vessels both fiction and real.  Like her predecessor, the Enterprise is called "Big-E," and is currently the longest naval vessel in the world.  The Enterprise is also the oldest currently serving ship in the Navy, save the ceremonial commission of the USS Constitution.



The Enterprise ran aground at a sandbar while returning to Alameda in 1983.  Ironically, George Takei, helmsman for the fictional Starship Enterprise, was aboard at the time. 


1976 Bob Melrose - Chowchilla bus kidnapping

On July 15, 1976, a group of schoolchildren and their bus driver were headed home after a school outing in the town of Chowchilla.  The 26 children and bus driver, Ed Ray, were abducted at gunpoint and stashed in a mine, where they were trapped for more than 16 hours. Miraculously, the group was able to dig themselves out of the cavern, and flee to safety.

“When the children in chowchilla, these innocent children, were coming home from school in this bus, it was difficult not to get emotionally involved in that story.



Bob is a KCBS veteran and seasoned professional who has been an integral part of the station's news coverage for over 20 years. Bob joined KCBS as an editor in 1975, bringing with him an extensive background as news director and reporter. He can often be found working out of the Hall of Justice, searching out the most compelling and accurate information to make the news come alive for KCBS radio listeners. Bob was born in San Diego and he graduated from San Jose State with a Bachelor's degree in journalism. "I like having the college education in there because my parents are proud their two sons graduated."

1980 George Harris - Mt. St. Helens erupts

The eruption of Mt. St. Hellens was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in American history.  57 people were killed, 250 homes were destroyed, 47 bridges were lost, and 185 miles of highway was leveled.
 
“At first, not everyone was quite sure what happened at Mt. Saint Helens, but everyone knew it was big.”

KCBS Reporter George Harris began his broadcasting career in 1975 at KYXI Radio in Portland, Oregon which was his hometown. In 1978 Harris left KTXI for KGW which was the number one station in Portland. Locating to Seattle, Harris was hired at KING. Radio where he became News Director in 1986, also working as a weekend General Assignment Reporter.

In 1987 Harris moved to San Francisco starting his career at KCBS Radio working as a Reporter/Anchor, and in 1996 becoming the primary reporter working out of the Santa Clara County Bureau in San Jose.

1968 Charles Kuralt - Martin Luther King Jr. & Robert F. Kennedy

1968 was a devastating shock to the nation and its civil rights and anti-war movements as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was shot and killed in Memphis, TN on April 4th.  His friend and compatriot, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot just a few months later, just after midnight on June 6th.

"1968 was the worst year of all, for my life as a reporter."



Charles Kuralt is an award-winning journalist whose "On the Road" segments for the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite earned him critical acclaim and two Peabody awards.  He died on the fourth of July in 1997 at the age of 62 years old.

1979 Charles Osgood reports on Iran

The Iran hostage crisis began on November 4, 1979 when a group of Islamic students took over the American embassy in support of the Iranian revolution.  The 52 U.S. diplomats at the center of the crisis were held hostage for 444 days. 

“...It was right after that that the Iranian Mob took over the US Embassy, and every day and every night there would be these giant demonstrations.”

Charles Osgood is a television and radio commentator, whose daily program, "The Osgood File" has aired on the CBS radio network since 1971.  

1988 Ray Barnett, KCBS General Manager, celebrates 20 years of news and more

“Like the last two turbulent decades, our voyage through time has taken us from the bitter to the sweet.  We were again inspired by nature’s awesome power and man’s undiminished capacity for hope.  We said goodbye to old friends and hello to the new.  Through it all we’re proud KCBS has been there, most often breaking the story first.  But just as this anniversary means looking back, it also invites a look ahead.  As our world changes, so must we--whether it’s traffic reports 7 days a week or increasing coverage of our local community.  Write and tell us how we’re doing.”