KTLA's Hal Fishman dies at 75

[JI7]

Source: Whittier Daily

Longtime KTLA Channel 5 anchor Hal Fishman died early Tuesday, less than a week after he was diagnosed with colon cancer, the station announced.

Called the "Flying Anchorman," Fishman was a veteran pilot who sometimes covered news stories from his own plane. He held a dozen world aviation records for speed and altitude, KTLA said.

Fishman had anchored the station's 10 p.m. newscast since 1975. He joined KTLA in 1965 and reported on the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 1991 Rodney King beating.

Fishman was an assistant professor of political science at California State University, Los Angeles, in 1960 when local TV station KCOP asked him to teach an on-air summer class in politics at a time when the Democratic National Convention was being held in Los Angeles. It became a success and the station asked Fishman to anchor a news segment. He accepted.

Read more: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_6565339?source=most_viewed

[LibDemAlways]

1. Hal Fishman was a familiar face in Los Angeles local news.

For years he played second fiddle to conservative blowhard George Putnam, (the inspiration for Ted Baxter), who'd inject his personal venom into the news with his laughable "one reporter's opinion" commentaries. (Putnam loved to pontificate on the evils of pot which he pronounced with about 5 syllables - mar-i-hu-a-na.)

After Putnam either died or retired (I forget which), Fishman took over the anchor desk and was decent at reporting the events of the day. However, he, too, served his masters with right-leaning editorials which, in his case, were never fully convincing. I always sensed he was more progressive than he felt comfortable letting on.

RIP

[calimary]

2. I had the great privilege of working for him awhile back. He was really nice.

Nice to everyone, even though he was the heavyweight in the building. He was very serious about his job, his profession, and he LOVED any story with an airplane in it. He was an accomplished pilot and held several records for speed and altitude. Often, he'd get in his plane and fly over a brushfire or some other scene in the news and take a cameraman with him. It was pretty cool.

[3waygeek]

5. AFAIK, Putnam is still alive

and doing a daily radio show somewhere in the Inland Empire. My Dad's a big fan of his.

[LibDemAlways]

6. Thanks for the info. He was sort of the Rush Limbaugh of his

day back on tv in the 70's. He must be quite elderly by now.

[slackmaster]

8. George Putnam always made me laugh

I think he was the template for Ted Knight's character, anchorman Ted Baxter, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Putnam spoke in headline style, e.g. "Sultan insulted in Maylay melee".

[Raine]

10. Putnam is on

http://www.kcaaradio.com/ you can get it on the internet if you want to give it a listen.

[The Sushi Bandit]

3. Rest in Peace Hal....you will be missed..

[The Sushi Bandit]

4. K&R

[slackmaster]

7. That's a real shame - Most colon cancer is preventable

Anyone over 50 should have regular colonoscopies.

People with a family history of colorectal cancer should start them earlier.

(It runs in my family. I'm 49 and have had two colonoscopies already.)

[Raine]

9. R-I-P Hal

I'll miss him, he leaned conservative but he was very exacting about the news making sure the facts were correct and he didn't ignore international news like so many do. I'm very sad about his passing. :cry:

[anitar1]

11. Used to watch him when I was a young thing. RIP, Hal. n/t

[The Sushi Bandit]

12. Hal was a "real" reporter

he really tried to show both sides of the issue