Harold Greene
Encyclopedia
Harold Greene is a former award-winning journalist, best known for working at KCAL 9 News
and CBS 2 News
in Los Angeles
. Before joining the CBS duopoly, Greene enjoyed a long television news career, mostly in Southern California.
Greene began his career in 1973 when he was hired to help launch the news operations for KCST-TV
in San Diego. After serving one year as anchor/news director at Channel 39, he moved over to rival station KGTV
where his co-anchoring The News with Jack White and his acclaim for his coverage of the Chicano rights movement helped the station briefly overtake rival KFMB
in the ratings. It is often-repeated gossip that Greene, during his San Diego tenure, was one of the many inspirations for the character of Ron Burgundy in the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
.
Greene would leave San Diego in 1977 for a brief stint at CBS affiliate KPIX-TV
in San Francisco, paired with co-anchor Dave McElhatton
, a popular local radio personality who himself was in his first year with the station, and after a year in the Bay Area moved to Los Angeles, where he joined the top-rated Eyewitness News
on KABC-TV
. After two years of co-anchoring the 5:00pm Eyewitness News
with the legendary Jerry Dunphy
, however, he was fired; KABC management subsequently brought in Ann Martin
and veteran Paul Moyer
(formerly of KNBC-TV at the time) to present the newscast.
Greene returned to San Diego and his old evening anchor slot at KGTV, but in 1982 KABC rehired him as a reporter and weekend anchor. His second tenure at KABC would prove to be more successful; in addition to serving as host/celebrity interviewer of locally-produced programs such as Hollywood Close-Up and A.M. Los Angeles for the station, he would earn one of ten Golden Mike Awards for his coverage of the Cerritos air disaster
in 1986.
Greene would eventually ascend to the weeknight anchor desk on Eyewitness News - he replaced Dunphy on the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts when the latter moved to KCAL in 1989 and moved to the 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts replacing Moyer (who returned to KNBC) in 1992. His co-anchors included Martin (1992–1994), Lisa McRee
(1994–1997, who was tapped to replace Joan Lunden
on Good Morning America
) and Laura Diaz
(1997–2000).
In August 2000, following disagreements with station management over his employment status, Greene exited KABC and signed with KCBS the following January, reuniting him with former Eyewitness News colleagues Ann Martin (who moved to KCBS in 1994) and veteran sportscaster Jim Hill
(who re-joined his old station in 1992). Two other KABC colleagues, Diaz in 2002 and weatherman Johnny Mountain
in 2005, would join Greene and Martin at KCBS, reuniting many of members of KABC's Eyewitness News team during the 1980s and early 1990s.
By the time KCBS/KCAL dropped him and several other staffers on April 1, 2008 amid budget cuts, Greene had been co-anchoring KCAL's 4pm and KCBS's 6pm newscasts with Martin (who was also laid off). A station source has indicated he will retire, however, Greene has had no official comment.
In addition to his aforementioned Golden Mike awards, Greene's honors also include the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Award, nine Emmy nominations and two wins, three Edward R. Murrow Awards, and twelve L.A. Press Club Awards.
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
and CBS 2 News
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Before joining the CBS duopoly, Greene enjoyed a long television news career, mostly in Southern California.
Greene began his career in 1973 when he was hired to help launch the news operations for KCST-TV
KNSD
KNSD is the NBC television station based in San Diego, California. It is owned by a joint venture of NBCUniversal and LIN TV . However, because NBCUniversal has majority control, KNSD is run as an NBC owned and operated station...
in San Diego. After serving one year as anchor/news director at Channel 39, he moved over to rival station KGTV
KGTV
KGTV, digital channel 10, is the ABC television affiliate in San Diego, California. The station can be seen on Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T U-verse on cable channel 10 in standard definition. Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable carry its high definition signal on cable...
where his co-anchoring The News with Jack White and his acclaim for his coverage of the Chicano rights movement helped the station briefly overtake rival KFMB
KFMB-TV
KFMB-TV is the local CBS television affiliate in San Diego, California. Its studios are located on Engineer Road in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego along with its sister radio stations, AM 760 and FM 100.7...
in the ratings. It is often-repeated gossip that Greene, during his San Diego tenure, was one of the many inspirations for the character of Ron Burgundy in the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
.
Greene would leave San Diego in 1977 for a brief stint at CBS affiliate KPIX-TV
KPIX-TV
KPIX-TV is the CBS owned and operated television station in San Francisco, California. Through its parent company CBS Corporation, KPIX is co-owned with The CW affiliate KBCW-TV ....
in San Francisco, paired with co-anchor Dave McElhatton
Dave McElhatton
Dave McElhatton was a former evening news anchor for several decades in San Francisco, California, in the United States. He was in the first class of inductees to the Bay AreaHall of Fame...
, a popular local radio personality who himself was in his first year with the station, and after a year in the Bay Area moved to Los Angeles, where he joined the top-rated Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
on KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
. After two years of co-anchoring the 5:00pm Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
with the legendary Jerry Dunphy
Jerry Dunphy
Jerry Dunphy was an American television news anchor in the Los Angeles/Southern California media market. He was best known for his catchy intro "From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening."...
, however, he was fired; KABC management subsequently brought in Ann Martin
Ann Martin (journalist)
Ann Martin is a former award-winning journalist and a news anchor for CBS owned-and-operated KCBS-TV and KCAL television stations in Los Angeles, California. On April 1, 2008, she was informed that her contract will not be renewed. Media reports speculated that her contract expired June 1, 2008...
and veteran Paul Moyer
Paul Moyer
Paul Moyer is a veteran television news broadcaster in Southern California. He co-anchored the 5 PM and 11 PM weekday editions of KNBC-TV's Channel 4 News with Colleen Williams. Moyer has worked primarily in the two major television markets—New York and Los Angeles—in addition to briefly working...
(formerly of KNBC-TV at the time) to present the newscast.
Greene returned to San Diego and his old evening anchor slot at KGTV, but in 1982 KABC rehired him as a reporter and weekend anchor. His second tenure at KABC would prove to be more successful; in addition to serving as host/celebrity interviewer of locally-produced programs such as Hollywood Close-Up and A.M. Los Angeles for the station, he would earn one of ten Golden Mike Awards for his coverage of the Cerritos air disaster
Aeroméxico Flight 498
Aeroméxico Flight 498, registration , was a Douglas DC-9-32 on route from Mexico City, Mexico to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, United States on August 31, 1986. N4891F was a privately-operated Piper PA-28-181 Archer owned by the Kramer family en route from Torrance to...
in 1986.
Greene would eventually ascend to the weeknight anchor desk on Eyewitness News - he replaced Dunphy on the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts when the latter moved to KCAL in 1989 and moved to the 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts replacing Moyer (who returned to KNBC) in 1992. His co-anchors included Martin (1992–1994), Lisa McRee
Lisa McRee
Lisa McRee is an American television journalist and former news anchor, born in Fort Worth, Texas.She was a news anchor for WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, from 1989 to 1991 before becoming one of the original anchors, along with Aaron Brown, of ABC News' World News Now when the show launched in 1992...
(1994–1997, who was tapped to replace Joan Lunden
Joan Lunden
Joan Lunden is an American journalist, author and television host. She was the co-host of ABC's Good Morning America from 1980 through 1997 and is the author of 8 books...
on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
) and Laura Diaz
Laura Diaz (TV anchor)
Laura Diaz is a Southern California newscaster. In September 2011, Diaz announced that she would be leaving KCBS-TV after nine years to pursue producing projects under her own banner....
(1997–2000).
In August 2000, following disagreements with station management over his employment status, Greene exited KABC and signed with KCBS the following January, reuniting him with former Eyewitness News colleagues Ann Martin (who moved to KCBS in 1994) and veteran sportscaster Jim Hill
Jim Hill (sportscaster)
James Webster "Jim" Hill is a retired American football defensive back who played in the National Football League. He is now a Los Angeles-based sportscaster and currently lead sports anchor and sports director at KCBS-TV...
(who re-joined his old station in 1992). Two other KABC colleagues, Diaz in 2002 and weatherman Johnny Mountain
Johnny Mountain
Johnny Mountain is a retired weathercaster for both KABC-TV and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, California. He has been described as "one of the most recognizable faces -- and names -- in local TV news."...
in 2005, would join Greene and Martin at KCBS, reuniting many of members of KABC's Eyewitness News team during the 1980s and early 1990s.
By the time KCBS/KCAL dropped him and several other staffers on April 1, 2008 amid budget cuts, Greene had been co-anchoring KCAL's 4pm and KCBS's 6pm newscasts with Martin (who was also laid off). A station source has indicated he will retire, however, Greene has had no official comment.
In addition to his aforementioned Golden Mike awards, Greene's honors also include the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Award, nine Emmy nominations and two wins, three Edward R. Murrow Awards, and twelve L.A. Press Club Awards.