Legendary KTVU anchor Dennis Richmond has died. One of the first Black anchors in a major news market, Richmond joined the San Francisco-based Fox-affiliated station in 1968, and remained there until his retirement in 2008. The station announced Wednesday that Richmond died in Grass Valley, California with his wife, who was “holding his hand until the end,” by his side earlier that day. He was 81.
Richmond spent over 40 years at KTVU, cementing himself as a fixture on Bay Area televisions. After first joining the station as a clerk-typist in 1968, per Patch, the Ohio-born Richmond, who served serving in the 82nd Airborne division and graduated from the Columbia Journalism School, rose through the ranks. In 1976, he became one of the nation’s first Black anchors of a major market TV newscast when he became a full-time anchor of the Ten O’Clock News. Under Richmond, the program became the Bay Area’s top-rated nightly newscast.
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Over the next three decades, Richmond became known as a “reliable voice during times of crisis and confusion,” and was best recognized for his “smart suits and thick mustache.” During his time at KTVU, Richmond co-anchored alongside Julie Haener, Barbara Simpson, Elaine Corral, and Leslie Griffith, and covered stories including the 1976 kidnapping of Patricia Hearst, the 1978 assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which he co-anchored from the KTVU parking lot.
“Dennis was a strong presence in the KTVU newsroom for decades, guiding the team and setting high standards for himself and his colleagues in everything they did,” KTVU General Manager Mellynda Hartel said. “His impact is still felt in the KTVU newsroom today.”
KTVU Assistant News Director Darren Zulberti added that Richmond “always reminded me and those around him to treat the viewer with respect, reporting oftentimes difficult news in uncertain times with clarity, context and straightforward delivery.”
Richmond stayed with KTVU for 40 years. He retired in 2008 just five days before his 65th birthday.
Richmond’s cause of death was not disclosed, though his passing came just months after he suffered a heart attack and a fall in late 2024. Haener visited him in the hospital and called him “a fighter” who “held on for as long as he could.” In an emotional tribute shared to Facebook following his passing, Haener added that she was “honored and filled with gratitude that I had the chance to work by his side for many years on the 6 and 10 O’Clock evening broadcasts…. He was the utmost professional who really loved what he did. He set the bar high and inspired all of us around him to get better, work hard and be consistent.”
Richmond is survived by his wife, his daughter, and stepson.
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