Stan Chambers
Stan Chambers was a television news reporter for KTLA in Los Angeles for more than 60 years. An iconic figure in the L.A. media community, the veteran journalist covered more than 22,000 stories during his tenure, ranging from the Rose Parade — which he reported on for decades — to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and the 1965 Watts riots.
In addition to covering local floods and fires, Chambers was the first to report on the video of Rodney King’s arrest in March of 1991. He said in a 2010 interview with the Los Angeles Times, however, that the story that stood out to him the most over his career occurred just 16 months after he joined KTLA — the continuous live coverage he and his team provided during the 27-hour rescue attempt of Kathy Fiscus, a three-year-old girl who fell into an abandoned well in San Marino in April of 1949.
When Chambers started working at KTLA in 1947, the station itself was just starting. His early days were spent mostly behind the scenes building sets. He also appeared as an actor in a handful of small TV roles, playing an announcer in two.
In 1962 Chambers worked on KTLA’s first daily newscast, ultimately becoming a reporter on KTLA 5 News at 10 in 1965. He continued to report for KTLA until his retirement on his 87th birthday.
Stan Chambers was a television news reporter for KTLA in Los Angeles for more than 60 years. An iconic figure in the L.A. media community, the veteran journalist covered more than 22,000 stories during his tenure, ranging from the Rose Parade — which he reported on for decades — to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and the 1965 Watts riots.
In addition to covering local floods and fires, Chambers was the first to report on the video of Rodney King’s arrest in March of 1991. He said in a 2010 interview with the Los Angeles Times, however, that the story that stood out to him the most over his career occurred just 16 months after he joined KTLA — the continuous live coverage he and his team provided during the 27-hour rescue attempt of Kathy Fiscus, a three-year-old girl who fell into an abandoned well in San Marino in April of 1949.
When Chambers started working at KTLA in 1947, the station itself was just starting. His early days were spent mostly behind the scenes building sets. He also appeared as an actor in a handful of small TV roles, playing an announcer in two.
In 1962 Chambers worked on KTLA’s first daily newscast, ultimately becoming a reporter on KTLA 5 News at 10 in 1965. He continued to report for KTLA until his retirement on his 87th birthday.
Upon his retirement, the city of Los Angeles and several other Southland communities declared days in his honor. His other professional accolades include Emmys and Golden Mike Awards, the Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition, a portion of Sunset Boulevard and a building on the KTLA lot are named after him.
Chambers died February 13, 2015, in Los Angeles. He was 91.
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