TV News Anchor Stan Atkinson Has Died

Stan Atkinson, beloved for his news coverage in the Bay area, has died at the age of 92. His family confirmed such to The Sacramento Bee. 

He worked for nearly 40 years between stations KCRA and KOVR. Atkinson initially desired a career in radio, but jumped into television unexpectedly.

“They said, ‘You’re going back to work in the TV station.’ I said, ‘I can’t do that, I don’t have a coat and tie,’” he said in an interview on Primetime Sacramento in March 2024. From there, he reported news behind the anchor desk at KCRA before moving to KOVR.

He worked through several wars, reporting on combat in Cambodia, Afghanistan and Serbia. Working on site, he was once grazed by a sniper’s bullet. “All of a sudden, I hear his gunfire, and all of a sudden, I feel a 30-[caliber] part the hair on the back of my neck,” he said of the incident. “It didn’t hit me, but it came so close.”

As for why he chose to remain in the area throughout his entire career, Atkinson described the Sacramento area as “special.” He retired from TV in 1999. 

He leaves beyond 14 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. His family is hosting a private, family-only memorial service.

Stan Atkinson’s son, Mike, spoke to CBS Sacramento about his father’s passing, calling the anchor his best friend. As for why his father had such a long career, he says it was because he reported with integrity.

“You know he loved truth,” Mike said. “And I think this comes back to how much he respected the viewers because he felt like they needed to know.”

When Stan retired, the family was stunned. “Yes, very much so,” Mike recalled of his dad’s decision. “And I think all of us were more concerned for him for what he would do. How could he even live day to day with this crazy lifestyle he had lived for decades, going to bed at two or three in the morning because he’d go out for dinner after the 11 o’clock?”