Stan Chambers
Local News Correspondent
About This Interview
Part of the local Los Angeles news scene for over 60 years, Stan Chambers was instrumental in the national evolution of local television news coverage. Having worked at KTLA almost since its inception, Chambers discusses the many local events, breaking news stories and tragedies he has covered: the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy involving the rescue attempt of a little girl who was trapped in a well; hosting Frosty Frolics; covering an above ground Nevada A-bomb test with television cameras for the first time; the first Telecopter; the Watts Riots; breaking the Rodney King beating story, and many others. The four-hour interview was conducted by Karen Herman on July 28, 1998.
Related To This Video
Featured Content
Video: A short video celebrating KTLA's 60-year history in Los Angeles featuring Stan Chambers and telecopter inventor John Silva
Video: Stan Chambers retires in August 2010
You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.
Highlights
Stan Chambers on how the definition on the early television cameras almost prevented him from being on-camera (01m 53s)
(11m 01s)Stan Chambers on reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide
(02m 04s)Stan Chambers on anchoring KTLA's evening news in 1958 (and using an improvised prompting system)- Stan Chambers on KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958 (05m 51s)
Stan Chambers covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968(04m 28s)
Stan Chambers on KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers(11m 04s)
Stan Chambers on how he'd like to be remembered (01m 30s)
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- On his early years growing up in Los Angeles, his education and military service, and his first work in radio
- Chapter 2
- On his student work at radio station KUSC and his interest in the new medium of television
- On joining KTLA and his initial jobs behind-the-scenes at the local Los Angeles station
- On the history and facilities of KTLA and some of the key people who were there at the beginning
- Chapter 3
- On his early years at KTLA and some of the unique programming that was on the station, the influence of Klaus Landsberg
- Chapter 4
- On selling ads on KTLA; on hosting shows including Frosty Frolics and a cooking show; the death of Klaus Landsberg and how it affected KTLA
- On reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide
- Chapter 5
- On the conclusion of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy and some of the details of the coverage as well as the influence it had for how television covered live news events
- On KTLA's remote coverage of the local Southern California troops leaving for Korea and returning from duty
- On KTLA's remote coverage of atom bomb tests in Nevada in 1952
- On KTLA's coverage of hearings and Los Angeles stories with a national focus
- Chapter 6
- On anchoring KTLA's evening news in 1958 (and using an improvised prompting system)
- On KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958
- On Los Angeles' KTLA's news coverage and competition in the late-50s and early 60s, including the assassination of President Kennnedy, the Baldwin Hills Dam collapse (1963); becoming news director for KTLA and his role in managing the team
- On Gene Autry's purchase of Los Angeles' KTLA station; changes in the newsroom
- Chapter 7
- On covering the Watts Riots in 1965 and the Los Angeles riots in 1993
- On covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968
- On stepping down as KTLA's new director in 1970 and focusing on reporting; on the changes in local news coverage; on covering Pope John Paul II's visit to Los Angeles in 1997
- Chapter 8
- On KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers
- On the process of covering local news
- Chapter 9
- On news coverage's evolution throughout his career
- On how he'd like to be remembered
- On some of the people he's worked with during his long career
- Chapter 10
- On some more of the people he's worked with in his career at KTLA; his first wife Beverly; current wife Gigi
- On photos of some of the highlights in his career
Shows
People
Topics
Genres
Be the first to comment!
Post new comment