Ross Becker
Encyclopedia
Ross Becker is a television journalist and news anchor. He is currently employed as an anchor/reporter at KUSI-TV in San Diego, California
.
Becker began his career in broadcasting in 1975 as a reporter at WFRV-TV
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
, before moving in 1977 to WTHR-TV in Indianapolis
as a weekend anchor and field reporter. He then moved to KCBS-TV
in Los Angeles
in 1980 as a reporter, eventually becoming head of the Investigative Team and weekend anchor. He received 3 Emmys for coverage of the Cerritos plane crash, Southern California windstorms and coverage of the 1986 San Fernando earthquake. He also received 6 Golden Mike Awards and the AP Mark Twain Award for news writing. During his tenure at KCBS, he also served two years as President of the Radio/TV News Association of Southern California. In 1990, Becker moved on to KCOP-TV
to anchor the station's only newscast. At KCOP he received an Emmy Award for coverage of the Reginald Oliver Denny
beating which started the L.A area riots.
In 1995, Becker quit KCOP, complaining about "sold-out, disgusting, tabloid" journalism in Los Angeles. In January 1996 Becker was hired as a freelance journalist and conducted a 90 minute interview with O.J. Simpson. It was the first interview with Simpson following his acquittal on murder charges. The interview was controversial at the time because it was distributed as a videotape for sale instead of airing on "free" television or cable. During the interview Becker agreed not to ask about Simpson's children, finances, or the then-pending civil lawsuit, however he disclosed this at the beginning of the interview and ultimately ended up questioning him about those subjects. In the video, Simpson blamed people "in Faye Resnick's circle" for the murder and accused Mark Fuhrman
of planting evidence related to Simpson's guilt. Many television stations and the National Enquirer, which printed many details about the trial, refused to carry advertising for the video.
After conducting the interview, Becker decided to take a break from big city television news. Becker and his wife, Linda, purchased WIEL, WKMO-FM, and WRZI-FM in Elizabethtown, Kentucky
in 1995. He sold the stations to Commonwealth Broadcasting in 2000 and jumped back into the broadcast news business when he accepted a position as an anchor for MSNBC
in 2002. Later that year, he returned to local news when he joined KTNV-TV in Las Vegas
as its evening anchor. Becker left KTNV in December 2004 to "pursue other opportunities". He returned to Los Angeles in 2005 as a freelance reporter for KNBC before being hired full time. He left KNBC at the end of 2006 to join KTVX (ABC4) in Salt Lake City, Utah, as an evening anchor. He left the station on December 31, 2009 and joined KUSI-TV in San Diego.http://www.sltrib.com/columnists/ci_5041225
Becker also has a mentoring website, www.tvnewsmentor.com. He services various clients, helping them prepare and improve their skills in broadcast journalism. Becker is the immediate past president of the Board of Directors of APTRA, the Associated Press TV and Radio Association which serves 12 western states as a liaison with the Associated Press.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Becker began his career in broadcasting in 1975 as a reporter at WFRV-TV
WFRV-TV
WFRV-TV is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and serving Green Bay, the Fox Valley, and Northeastern Wisconsin. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter north of the Brown County town of Morrison...
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, before moving in 1977 to WTHR-TV in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
as a weekend anchor and field reporter. He then moved to KCBS-TV
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...
in 1980 as a reporter, eventually becoming head of the Investigative Team and weekend anchor. He received 3 Emmys for coverage of the Cerritos plane crash, Southern California windstorms and coverage of the 1986 San Fernando earthquake. He also received 6 Golden Mike Awards and the AP Mark Twain Award for news writing. During his tenure at KCBS, he also served two years as President of the Radio/TV News Association of Southern California. In 1990, Becker moved on to KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
to anchor the station's only newscast. At KCOP he received an Emmy Award for coverage of the Reginald Oliver Denny
Reginald Oliver Denny
Reginald Denny, a white construction truck driver, was beaten nearly to death by a group of assailants who came to be known as the "L.A. Four", while LAPD squad cars that were parked around the corner were ordered to leave the area, instead of helping Denny. The attack was captured by a Los Angeles...
beating which started the L.A area riots.
In 1995, Becker quit KCOP, complaining about "sold-out, disgusting, tabloid" journalism in Los Angeles. In January 1996 Becker was hired as a freelance journalist and conducted a 90 minute interview with O.J. Simpson. It was the first interview with Simpson following his acquittal on murder charges. The interview was controversial at the time because it was distributed as a videotape for sale instead of airing on "free" television or cable. During the interview Becker agreed not to ask about Simpson's children, finances, or the then-pending civil lawsuit, however he disclosed this at the beginning of the interview and ultimately ended up questioning him about those subjects. In the video, Simpson blamed people "in Faye Resnick's circle" for the murder and accused Mark Fuhrman
Mark Fuhrman
Mark Fuhrman is a former detective of the Los Angeles Police Department , known for his part in the investigation of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and his subsequent felony conviction for perjury...
of planting evidence related to Simpson's guilt. Many television stations and the National Enquirer, which printed many details about the trial, refused to carry advertising for the video.
After conducting the interview, Becker decided to take a break from big city television news. Becker and his wife, Linda, purchased WIEL, WKMO-FM, and WRZI-FM in Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state...
in 1995. He sold the stations to Commonwealth Broadcasting in 2000 and jumped back into the broadcast news business when he accepted a position as an anchor for MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
in 2002. Later that year, he returned to local news when he joined KTNV-TV in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
as its evening anchor. Becker left KTNV in December 2004 to "pursue other opportunities". He returned to Los Angeles in 2005 as a freelance reporter for KNBC before being hired full time. He left KNBC at the end of 2006 to join KTVX (ABC4) in Salt Lake City, Utah, as an evening anchor. He left the station on December 31, 2009 and joined KUSI-TV in San Diego.http://www.sltrib.com/columnists/ci_5041225
Becker also has a mentoring website, www.tvnewsmentor.com. He services various clients, helping them prepare and improve their skills in broadcast journalism. Becker is the immediate past president of the Board of Directors of APTRA, the Associated Press TV and Radio Association which serves 12 western states as a liaison with the Associated Press.