bbc world news tonight anchors

List of current BBC newsreaders and reporters

This is a list of newsreaders and journalists currently employed by BBC Television and BBC Radio .

Television news presenters

Bbc one and bbc two, bbc news (tv channel), radio news presenters, bbc radio 2, bbc radio 4, bbc radio 5 live, bbc world service, journalists, foreign correspondents, latin america, uk and ireland correspondents, specialist correspondents, programme correspondents, segment presenters, weather forecasters, programme presenters.

Presenters and journalists appear across BBC television, radio but also contribute to BBC Online .

BBC News provides television journalism to BBC network bulletins (on BBC One and BBC Two ) and programmes as well as the BBC News Channel available around the world and in the United Kingdom . BBC News runs BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC World Service as part of its rolling news coverage, journalists and presenters also contribute to podcasts produced by BBC News for BBC Radio 4 , as well as solely for BBC Sounds .

The BBC has over 5,500 journalists [1] based both in the United Kingdom and abroad. BBC appointments can be short- or long-term; for example, reporter Peter Bowes revealed on BBC News (broadcast live on 8 September 2020) that Los Angeles has been his home for 25 years.

Many presenters listed here contribute to various BBC News programmes, and some are involved in other BBC projects. Additionally, certain BBC News presenters offer relief presentation for programmes airing on these channels. It's important to note that this list excludes presenters of broadcasts simulcast from the BBC News channel on BBC One overnight or during weekday mornings on BBC Two .

The presenters listed below often contribute to various BBC News programmes and may have roles in other departments within the BBC. Additionally, some BBC News presenters not listed here occasionally fill in on programs broadcast on this channel. Noteworthy exceptions are the presenters of the domestic programmes BBC Breakfast , BBC One bulletins, and BBC Newsnight simulcast on the domestic feed.

A significant change occurred on April 3, 2023, when the BBC consolidated its domestic and international rolling news channels into a unified operation. To spearhead news broadcasts on the merged channel during weekdays, the BBC appointed six (original) "chief presenters". This has since grown to twelve. Among them, nine are based in London, while two operate from Washington DC and one operates out of the BBC News studio in Singapore. [3]

Chief presenters

The programmes where the presenter is the lead presenter are shown here in bold. Chief presenters work across BBC One, BBC Two and primarily the BBC News Channel. The chief presenters broadcast on the channel between 12:00 and 8:00 London time during weekdays. Chief presenters will front BBC News coverage of editorially significant events on weekends. News broadcasts outside of these hours, and on weekends are fronted by other BBC presenters, many of which previously appeared on the domestic and international rolling news channels prior to their merger.

Other presenters

The list below reflects presenters' normal postings, but can be posted to cover other studios

The broadcasters mentioned below frequently contribute to various BBC Radio programmes and may hold roles in different departments within the BBC. Moreover, some BBC Radio hosts not listed here occasionally step in on programmes aired on this channel.

♦ = Presenter

The list provided indicates the usual assignments of correspondents. In instances of significant global events, like the Libyan crisis in 2011 or the Gaza conflict in 2023, foreign correspondents may be temporarily reassigned from their regular locations to cover these stories on a rotational basis. During such times, they are often labelled as "World Affairs Correspondents" or, if in Europe, as "Europe Correspondents." Subsequently, they return to their usual assignments. Additionally, this temporary reassignment may occur to cover holidays, primarily in July and August, as well as during Christmas periods. The BBC has a variety of specialist positions also including Regional Editors who are often shared across the world service output also.

Asia/Pacific

North america, middle east.

Only network correspondents are listed, but additional correspondents from national and regional news teams also report for the network.

Family & Education

Home & legal affairs, diplomatic and royal, social affairs, religious affairs, environment and climate, culture, arts and media, contributing editors.

• Reeta Chakrabarti ♦

Special correspondents

• Lucy Manning
• Fergal Keane
• Ed Thompson

BBC News employs a number of business and sports presenters to anchor sections of news programmes.

BBC Weather is delivered by a team of Met Office broadcast meteorologists to deliver forecasts across its range of television and radio services. Most forecasters work across all mediums and shifts.

• Darren Bett
• Katerina Christodoulou
• Stav Danaos
• Chris Fawkes
• Alexis Green
• Alina Jenkins
• Sarah Keith-Lucas
• Carol Kirkwood
• Louise Lear
• Lucy Martin
• Susan Powell
• Elizabeth Rizzini
• Tomasz Schafernaker
• Matt Taylor
• Helen Willetts
• Owain Wyn Evans
• List of former BBC newsreaders and journalists
• Category:British television journalists

Related Research Articles

Newsnight is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. The programme is broadcast on weekdays at 22:30 on BBC Two and the UK feed of BBC News channel; it is also available on BBC iPlayer.

Andrew Paul Gilligan is a British policy adviser, and former transport adviser to Boris Johnson both as Mayor of London and as Prime Minister. Until July 2019, he was senior correspondent of The Sunday Times and had also served as head of the Capital City Foundation at Policy Exchange. Between 2013 and 2016 he also worked as the Mayor's cycling commissioner for London, and in 2020 he was an appointee of Central Government to TfL's Board. He is best known for a 2003 report on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in which he described a British government briefing paper on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction as having been "transformed in the week before it was published to make it sexier". This change became widely known, in the words of newspaper headlines about the story, as being "sexed up".

Andrew Ferguson Neil is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster who is chairman of The Spectator . He was editor of The Sunday Times from 1983 to 1994. He has presented various political programmes on the BBC and on Channel 4.

Julia Hartley-Brewer is a conservative British radio presenter, political journalist, and newspaper columnist. She has hosted a radio show on Talkradio simulcast on TalkTV, called Julia Hartley-Brewer on weekdays from 10am.

RTÉ News and Current Affairs , also known simply as RTÉ News , is the national news service provided by Irish public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). Its services include local, national, European and international news, investigative journalism and current affairs programming for RTÉ television, radio, online, podcasts, on-demand and for independent Irish language public broadcaster TG4. It is the largest and most popular news source in Ireland – with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main source of both Irish and international news. It broadcasts in English, Irish and Irish Sign Language. The organisation is also a source of commentary on current affairs. The division is based at the RTÉ Television Centre in Donnybrook, Dublin; however, the station also operates regional bureaux across Ireland and the world.

Mark Mardell is a British journalist, formerly the presenter of The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4. He had previously served as BBC News's Europe editor, and provided coverage for each United Kingdom general election between 1992 and 2005, before he became North America editor.

BBC Breakfast is a British television breakfast news programme, produced by BBC News and broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel every morning from 6:00am. The simulcast is presented live, originally from the BBC Television Centre, London before moving in 2012 to MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester. The programme is broadcast daily and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items.

Jonathan B. Sopel is a British journalist, television presenter and podcaster. He was formerly BBC News's North America editor; chief political correspondent for the domestic news channel BBC News; a presenter on the Politics Show on BBC One and the BBC News channel; and from 2013 to 2014, the main presenter of Global on BBC World News. Since 2022, he has been presenting the Global daily news podcast The News Agents .

Carrie Gracie is a Scottish journalist and newsreader best known as having been China Editor for BBC News.

Dateline London was a weekly BBC News discussion programme. A panel of four leading journalists, lecturers, and foreign correspondents discussed top news stories from an international perspective. The last episode made was on 15 October 2022.

Robert Adam Fleming is a Scottish journalist and presenter for BBC News. He was formerly its Chief Political correspondent, Brussels correspondent, and has previously worked for Daily Politics and Newsround . He co-presented the podcast and television programme Brexitcast , before becoming lead presenter of its successor, Newscast .

Laura Juliet Kuenssberg is a British journalist who presents the BBC's flagship Sunday morning politics show.

Yalda Hakim is an Australian broadcast journalist, news presenter, and documentary maker. She was one of the chief presenters at BBC News broadcasting in English in the UK and globally. After her family left Afghanistan and settled in Australia in 1986, she grew up in the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta and went on to study journalism. She started her career at SBS Television, moving to BBC TV in 2012. In July 2023, it was announced that she was leaving the BBC to join Sky News.

Norman Stuart Smith is a British journalist. He became the chief political correspondent of BBC News in 2011, and was its assistant political editor from 2014 to 2020.

Amol Rajan is an Indian-born British journalist, broadcaster and writer. Rajan is a former adviser to Lord (Evgeny) Lebedev, and was appointed the editor of his newspaper The Independent in 2013. When The Independent announced it was dropping the print edition in February 2016, and continuing as only an online operation, he was retained for a period as "editor-at-large". He was the media editor of BBC News from December 2016 to January 2023, and has been a presenter on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 since 2021. He replaced Jeremy Paxman as the host of University Challenge on 17 July 2023.

The Context , also styled as The Context with Christian Fraser , is a live current affairs programme that airs Monday to Friday on the international and UK feeds of the BBC News channels from 20:00 GMT till 22:00 GMT.

Vicki Young is a British journalist.

Christopher Richard Mason is an English journalist, who has been the political editor of BBC News since 2022. He is also a presenter of the podcast and television programme Newscast . He was formerly the BBC's political correspondent.

Thomas Hedley Fairfax Harwood is a British journalist, political commentator and television show host. He became the deputy political editor of GB News in March 2023. Harwood previously worked as a reporter for the right-wing political news website Guido Fawkes between 2018 and 2021, and was a regular contributor to The Daily Telegraph , writing online columns from 2019 to 2021.

GB News is a British free-to-air, opinion-orientated news television and radio channel. The channel is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet on Samsung TV Plus and YouTube. An audio simulcast of the station is also available on DAB+ radio.

• ↑ "Clive Myrie on The King's Proclamation" . BBC . 29 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023.
• ↑ "BBC unveils presenter line-up for news channel" .
• 1 2 3 4 "Annita McVeigh, Ben Brown and Geeta Guru-Murthy appointed as chief presenters for BBC News Channel" .
• ↑ "Maryam Moshiri" .
• ↑ "BBC News - Behind the Stories, Clive Myrie on the King's Proclamation" . 29 December 2022.
• ↑ "Steve Lai appointed as BBC News Chief Presenter" . www.bbc.co.uk . Retrieved 21 December 2023 .
• ↑ "BBC's Nancy Kacungira celebrates birth of son" . 12 January 2024.
• ↑ "Who has the nation's favourite radio voice?" . Radio Times .
• ↑ "BBC - Evan Davis appointed as new presenter for Radio 4's PM programme - Media Centre" . bbc.co.uk .
• ↑ "BBC Radio 5 live - Chiles on Friday" . BBC .
• ↑ Knuckles, Oswin (20 September 2018). "BBC News gets a Global Population Correspondent" . ResponseSource . Retrieved 15 October 2018 .
• ↑ "BBC Reporter Mark Lowen On Why He Left Turkey" . WBUR . 23 September 2019.
• ↑ "Afghanistan: Taliban ban women from universities amid condemnation" . BBC News . 21 December 2022 . Retrieved 4 January 2023 .
• ↑ "Laura Bicker (@BBCLBicker)" . Twitter . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Soutik Biswas - BBC News" . BBC News . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ Bryant, Nick [@NickBryantNY] (10 November 2019). "The BBC has a new Australia correspondent and she's great - @Shaimaakhalil Tellingly, she arrives to massive bushfires and a coal-brandishing prime minister who "refused to be drawn on whether climate change could have contributed to the fires". #australia #ozpol #bushfires https://twitter.com/NickBryantNY/status/1193519050321747968" ( Tweet ). Archived from the original on 10 November 2019 . Retrieved 29 May 2021 – via Twitter .
• ↑ "Anthony Zurcher" . BBC News . Retrieved 23 May 2021 .
• ↑ Munro, Jonathan [@jonathancmunro] (31 October 2018). "Delighted to confirm @BBCSophie - Sophie Long - as our new Los Angeles Correspondent. @BBCNews" ( Tweet ) . Retrieved 29 May 2021 – via Twitter .
• ↑ "Follow the US election on the BBC" . BBC News . 4 November 2018 . Retrieved 14 November 2018 .
• ↑ "Emma Vardy (@EmmaVardyTV)" . Twitter . Retrieved 26 February 2019 .
• ↑ "Home" . www.maryharper.co.uk .
• ↑ "Emmanuel Igunza (@EmmanuelIgunza)" . Twitter . Retrieved 15 October 2018 .
• ↑ "Mayeni Jones named BBC Nigeria Correspondent - ResponseSource" . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Tomi Oladipo (@Tomi_Oladipo)" . Twitter . Retrieved 15 October 2018 .
• ↑ "Bassam Bounenni (@bbounenni)" . Twitter . Retrieved 15 October 2018 .
• ↑ "Simon Jones (@SimonJonesNews)" . Twitter . Retrieved 17 January 2024 .
• ↑ "Lisa Hampelé (@LisaHampele)" .
• ↑ "Helena Lee (@BBCHelenaLee)" . Twitter . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Vincent McAviney (@VinnyMcAv)" . Twitter . Retrieved 18 January 2022 .
• ↑ "Joe Miller (@JoeMillerJr)" . Twitter . Retrieved 14 November 2018 .
• ↑ "James Cook appointed BBC News Scotland Editor" . BBC. 3 February 2022 . Retrieved 8 February 2022 .
• ↑ Griffith, Hywel [@hywel_griffith] (2 September 2019). "First day back reporting on Wales and the news feels rather familiar from 2016... https://t.co/yDNQMWftEu #steelcrisis #croesonol" ( Tweet ). Archived from the original on 12 September 2019 . Retrieved 29 May 2021 – via Twitter .
• ↑ "Vicki Young appointed BBC's new Deputy Political Editor" . BBC . Retrieved 1 October 2020 .
• ↑ "Susana Mendonça (@susana_mendonca) - Twitter" . twitter.com . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Barnier: Brexit transition 'not a given' " . BBC News. 9 February 2018 . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ Maguire, Stephen (21 December 2020). "Donegal man Enda appointed BBC Northern Ireland political editor – Donegal Daily" . www.donegaldaily.com . Retrieved 5 July 2021 .
• ↑ "BBC News hires Zeffman as chief political correspondent" . 13 June 2023.
• ↑ "Elaine Dunkley (@" . Twitter . Retrieved 14 November 2018 .
• ↑ Casciani, Dominic [@BBCDomC] (4 January 2021). "New Year, new job. From today, I'm the BBC's Home and Legal Correspondent. Mission: Plain english explanations of the law..." ( Tweet ). Archived from the original on 4 January 2021 . Retrieved 29 May 2021 – via Twitter .
• 1 2 Marcus, Jonathan (30 May 2018). "Jonathan Marcus (@Diplo1) | Twitter" . Twitter . Archived from the original on 25 May 2018 . Retrieved 30 May 2018 .
• ↑ Hawley, Caroline. "Caroline Hawley (@carolinehawley) | Twitter" . Twitter . Archived from the original on 7 February 2016 . Retrieved 19 May 2018 .
• ↑ "Paul Adams (@BBCPaulAdams) - Twitter" . twitter.com . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Sky News Political Editor defects to BBC" . Prolific North . 6 November 2018.
• ↑ "Peter Ruddick - X" . Twitter .
• ↑ Walker, Andrew. "Andrew Walker (@andrewwalker167) | Twitter" . Twitter . Archived from the original on 13 February 2018 . Retrieved 19 May 2018 .
• ↑ "Theo Leggett (@Theothebald)" . Twitter . Retrieved 15 October 2018 .
• ↑ "CCTV shows man suspected of launching hot chocolate at BBC reporter" . Evening Standard . 4 March 2020.
• ↑ "Ben Hunte named first LGBT correspondent for BBC News" . BBC News. 13 December 2018.
• ↑ "A Day in the Life of Megha Mohan, BBC Gender & Identity Correspondent" . 26 May 2019.
• ↑ "Alison Holt (@AlisonHolt1)" . Twitter . Retrieved 15 October 2018 .
• ↑ "Adina Campbell to change roles at BBC News - ResponseSource" . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ Diseko, Lebo (16 December 2019). "Tiffany Haddish's Black Mitzvah and her journey of Jewish discovery" . BBC News.
• ↑ Austin, Katy [@KatyAustinNews] (15 November 2021). "🚨 Job news: I start today as the BBC's Transport Correspondent, after 2 years - and many weekends - on Business. Picking up the baton from the fab @caroline_gm_d . Can't wait to get going 🚗🚲🚊✈️🚢 https://t.co/ZGZQ14klLk" ( Tweet ). Archived from the original on 13 December 2021 . Retrieved 1 January 2022 – via Twitter .
• ↑ "BBC News appoints Kleinman tech editor" . 21 September 2021.
• 1 2 "UK Media Moves including ITV News, the FT, News UK and more" . Retrieved 28 January 2022 .
• ↑ Knuckles, Oswin (4 March 2020). "James Clayton appointed as Tech reporter at BBC News" . responsesource.com . Retrieved 22 February 2022 .
• ↑ "BBC One - X-Ray - Steffan Powell" .
• 1 2 "Richard Westcott changes role at BBC News - ResponseSource" . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Patch change for Victoria Gill at BBC News - ResponseSource" . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "Matt McGrath (@MattMcGrathBBC)" . Twitter . Retrieved 6 February 2019 .
• ↑ "Claire Marshall (@BBCMarshall)" . Twitter . Retrieved 6 February 2019 .
• ↑ Savage, Mark (20 April 2017). "Harry Potter is coming to the Proms" . BBC News.
• ↑ "Ornstein leaves BBC Sport to become latest Athletic recruit" . Prolific North . 17 July 2019 . Retrieved 16 October 2019 .
• ↑ "Katie Gornall (@KatiegBBC)" . Twitter . Retrieved 16 October 2019 .
• ↑ "Telling Sport's Stories: BBC News' Joe Wilson" . The Cambridge Student . 3 July 2018 . Retrieved 16 October 2019 .
• ↑ "Daily Mail's Laura Lambert joins BBC Sport" . Prolific North . 14 October 2019 . Retrieved 16 October 2019 .
• ↑ Sport news bulletins start in Salford , Ariel (BBC), 6 March 2012
• ↑ "Agent British Corporate Presenter Journalist Louisa Pilbeam" .
• ↑ Tilley, Chloe. "BBC - World Service - World Have Your Say: Meet the team: Chloe Tilley" . Retrieved 22 July 2018 .
• ↑ "New drama and comedy commissions announced as BBC Three Is On TV from tomorrow" . BBC . Retrieved 6 February 2022 .
• List of BBC regional news programmes

Linsey Davis, Whit Johnson Will Anchor ABC’s Weekend ‘World News Tonight’

By Brian Steinberg

Brian Steinberg

Senior TV Editor

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Linsey Davis and Whit Johnson have been named co-anchors of the weekend broadcasts of ABC News “ World News Tonight ,” filling roles in the wake of the departure of anchor Tom Llanas.

In a memo sent to ABC News staffers Monday, James Goldston, the unit’s outgoing president, said Johnson will anchor Saturdays, while Davis will anchor Sundays. They will commence their new duties this weekend. Both are expected to continue their other duties at ABC News. Davis anchors a primetime broadcast on ABC News Live and Johnson works at the Saturday broadcast of “Good Morning America.”

Davis was last year named anchor of the ABC News Live program, and has become a regular part of ABC News’ big special reports around such developments as presidential debates and elections. She will appear on ABC News Live Monday through Thursday, with a rotating group of anchors leading the venue’s Friday-night primetime program.

Johnson joined ABC News in 2018, and previously worked for KNBC and CBS News. He has recently been assigned to cover the coronavirus outbreak for ABC News.

Popular on Variety

“Linsey and Whit are both familiar faces at the World News Tonight desk, having filled in on the weekends and for David during the week,” Goldston said, referring to David Muir, the weekday anchor of the evening-news program.

“World News Tonight” has become the leading evening-news broadcast in the nation, both in terms of the audiences advertisers covet most, people between 25 and 54, and among overall viewers. The Saturday broadcast last season led in both those categories, while the Sunday broadcast led in total viewers for the first time in 23 years.

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BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has been caught off guard live on TV once again

Bbc news' maryam moshiri has done it again.

BBC News anchor Maryam Moshiri has, yet again, been caught off guard on live TV, and it's brilliant.

The chief presenter, 46, can't seem to catch a break and has been the victim of yet another news bulletin blunder.

At this point, viewers think she just isn't told 'when the countdown is done'.

Take a look:

The middle finger incident

One of the best ever TV bloopers took place last December when Moshiri flashed her middle finger just before transitioning into a news bulletin .

She was featuring on BBC News' world feed at 12 noon ( UK time) on 6 December.

Soon after the programme's famous musical countdown ended, Moshiri throws up the finger while looking straight down the camera lens, taking her a good few seconds to realise she's live on air.

The growling look on her face soon disappeared and she snatched her hand away to avoid further damage.

Moshiri later apologised for the incident , saying she was ‘joking around’ and ‘pretending to count down’.

She wrote on X: “Hey everyone, yesterday just before the top of the hour I was joking around a bit with the team in the gallery.

"I was pretending to count down as the director was counting me down from 10-0... including the fingers to show the number. So from 10 fingers held up to one.

"When we got to 1 I turned finger around as a joke and did not realise that this would be caught on camera.

"It was a private joke with the team and I’m so sorry it went out on air! It was not my intention for this to happen and I’m sorry if I offended or upset anyone.

“I wasn’t ‘flipping the bird’ at viewers or even a person really.

"It was a silly joke that was meant for a small number of my mates."

Another 'iconic' Maryam Moshiri moment

It's happened again earlier today (11 May) as she appeared to be breaking the news of Dutch contestant Joost Klein who was disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest grand final .

Swedish police are said to be investigating allegations of inappropriate behaviour, the European Broadcasting Union said.

Now, as the BBC countdown began, we got a bit of déjà vu as Moshiri and her production team were clearly not good to go.

The hairstylist was still fixing her hair and a hand belonging to a member of the film crew was momentarily blocking the screen.

After a good few seconds, she clocks that she's live on air and nudges the hair stylist out of the way so she can start presenting the news.

She 'can’t believe this happened'

Moshiri responded to the blooper on X, writing: "Omg I can’t believe this happened.

"There is a delay and everyone was so worried about my messy hair!

"@MarvinNadalutti your hand is famous!"

"I swear they just don’t tell her when the countdown is done now," one viewer joked, as another tweeted: "Maryam genuinely can’t avoid being an icon I fear, even without trying."

"I swear it always happens to her," a third said, while a fourth wrote: "Is this the middle finger lady who didn’t know she was being filmed? There’s a pattern here."

Maryam Moshiri, never change.

Topics:  BBC , TV and Film

Anish is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2024 finalist. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

@ Anish_Vij

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Sam Rubin, KTLA Reporter, Dead at 64

Sam Rubin, the longtime and beloved journalist, died Friday following a heart attack.

Sam Rubin, a beloved TV journalist who was a fixture in Los Angeles and an integral part of KTLA's immensely popular morning show, has died, ET has confirmed. He was 64.

Rubin died on Friday following a heart attack. He reportedly suffered the medical emergency at his home where he went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to UCLA West Hills and ultimately pronounced dead. KTLA anchor Frank Buckley confirmed the tragedy on the air at the start of the afternoon's broadcast with an emotional tribute.

"The Sam that you saw on the air is the Sam that was off the air," Buckley said live on the air. "To all of us he shared his mornings with on television, and to those he worked with behind the scenes at KTLA, we will not forget him."

Buckley added that Rubin's death was sudden, saying "he was here with us yesterday."

In a statement on social media, KTLA shared, "KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin. Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades. His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished the most. Our thoughts are with Sam’s family during this difficult time."

Popular tech reporter Rich DeMuro also  posted on social media saying he was "in absolute shock." He added, "Morning News in Hollywood will never be the same without you."

TMZ was first to report the tragic news.

According to his bio on KTLA's website, Rubin joined the station in 1991. He was primarily known as an entertainment journalist, earning the coveted Golden Mike Award for best entertainment reporter and multiple Emmy Awards for his entertainment news coverage. He earned top billing from the Los Angeles Press Club and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern California Broadcasters Association.

Over the course of his career he was also called upon to play himself or a TV reporter on several popular shows and movies, including Beverly Hills, 90210 , Rizzoli & Isles , Melrose Place , Major Crimes , That's So Raven and Fantastic Four .

Rubin's reporting wasn't limited to Los Angeles. He often appeared on numerous entertainment news segments around the country and around the world. He was a regular on BBC's TV and radio segments, as well as on Triple M radio and Channel 9 in Australia. 

Rubin, also a fixture at red carpet events like the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, was born in San Diego, California, but long considered Los Angeles his home. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies at Occidental College in Los Angeles and he resided in the ritzy neighborhood of Brentwood.

Rubin is survived by his wife, Leslie, and four children.

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Veteran Hollywood entertainment reporter Sam Rubin dies at 64

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Sam Rubin, a veteran journalist who anchored KTLA’s entertainment coverage for more than 30 years, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 64.

Anchor Frank Buckley confirmed the reporter’s death during an emotional announcement on Friday afternoon. Fighting back tears as he announced the news on the air, Buckley called his colleague’s death “shocking” and “hard to comprehend in the moment.”

“Quite simply, Sam was KTLA,” he added before praising Rubin’s cheerful personality.

Rubin called in sick from Friday’s morning show, Buckley said, but the channel did not share additional details about his death.

A source familiar with the incident told The Times that Rubin suffered cardiac arrest at his West Valley home and was transported to a hospital Friday morning.

“The newsroom is in tears right now,” Buckley said on-air. He added that there was “a lot of emotion” among Rubin’s colleagues.

“I think we all feel that losing Sam is like losing a close family friend,” said Jamie Gruttemeyer of the Hollywood Alternative, Rubin’s manager. “Someone who could always lift your spirits, someone who was welcome in your home, and always showed up with a smile on his face. Sam will be forever missed.”

“Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades,” KTLA said of Rubin in a statement shared on social media. “His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him.”

Film critic Scott Mantz, who filled in for Rubin early Friday, wrote on social media that he was in “absolute shock” to learn about his colleague’s sudden death. “Sam was just the greatest guy,” Mantz wrote.

“I always called him ‘The Godfather of Entertainment News,’ and that was true. An absolute legend [and] a generous person,” Mantz added.

Sam Rubin brought a sense of Los Angeles authenticity that the fledgling KTLA 5 “Morning News” show needed, according to founding co-anchor Carlos Amezcua.

Amezcua, 70, described Rubin as “the connective tissue” that helped him, forecaster Mark Kriski and co-anchor Barbara Beck reach their intended audience.

“What can always be said about Sam is that he helped the ‘KTLA Morning News’ connect to Los Angeles as a native Angeleno who loved L.A. and knew the city better than anyone else on set,” said Amezcua, a San Diego native, who began with KTLA in 1991. “We had L.A. in our call letters and Sam always said that we knew L.A. and L.A. knew us.”

Rubin was known for his humor and developed a chemistry with Amezcua, the former anchor said. What impressed Amezcua most, however, was Rubin’s depth of knowledge.

“He knew Hollywood and what was important to the entertainment industry,” said Amezcua, co-founder of the digital streaming service Beond TV.

Over time, Amezcua said, viewers and even some within the industry began to regard Rubin as a celebrity.

“We used to make fun of him all the time about that,” Amezcua said. “I used to tell him ‘You’re as big as the celebrities you’re interviewing.’ He would just laugh and say ‘C’mon,’ but I think deep down he knew that.”

One aspect not seen on television was Rubin’s love of family, Amezcua said. He said both or them occasionally brought their families on set and they all befriended one another.

“I have five children and they all knew Sam and his family, and Sam was just so generous with his time,” Amezcua said. “He was a good family man and they loved him. We all loved him.”

Former news director Jason Ball, who worked at KTLA from 2008 to 2021 before retiring, called Rubin “bigger than life” and “a lion” who “deserves to be memorialized.”

Ball said he occasionally butted heads with Rubin on show ideas, but didn’t mind that his colleague “pushed him outside his comfort zone.”

“Sometimes you didn’t know what he was going to do, which could be a challenge for me,” Ball said. “But I always knew he had the show’s heart in mind and I don’t really know how KTLA is going to function without him.”

The journalist was born Feb. 16, 1960, and graduated from University High School and then Occidental College in Los Angeles, earning a degree in American studies and rhetoric.

Rubin joined KTLA’s “Morning News” program in 1991 and during his tenure earned a reputation for his disarming interviews and his warm personality on and off the air. As the face of KTLA’s entertainment coverage, Rubin won over Angeleno audiences, including celebrity viewers Tom Hanks and Henry Winkler.

“He made you feel special every single time,” Winkler said in a call to KTLA on Friday. “He made every human being feel so special and got them to open up like a flower.”

He also had a way of turning lead into gold. “There are a lot of stupid, boring celebrities out there,” “Alias” actor Greg Grunberg said via phone on the broadcast Friday. “And man, did he make them all seem interesting.”

“I truly loved Sam, who was so supportive of me and the industry in general,” “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “He was the best. I can’t quite process him being gone. Sending so much love to his family and friends. So sad. RIP Sam. Love you, pal.”

“It just feels like a bomb has gone off in Hollywood,” talk-show host and former “Entertainment Tonight” co-host Leeza Gibbons said on Friday’s broadcast. “He was curious and he was present. And those things make people feel special, whether you were being interviewed by him or watching him on TV.”

While best known for his KTLA presence, the San Diego-born reporter also brought his industry knowledge to platforms overseas. He regularly appeared on BBC Television and contributed regularly to Australia’s Triple M radio and Channel 9 Television, according to KTLA’s website .

The author of biographies on former first lady Jacqueline Onassis and “Rosemary’s Baby” star Mia Farrow, Rubin won multiple Daytime Emmys for his entertainment coverage. He also received a Golden Mike Award for entertainment reporting and an Associated Press Television and Radio prize for his work. Other accolades included honors from the Southern California Broadcasters Association, the Los Angeles Press Club and the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

“He was born to be a broadcaster. He was the best broadcaster that there is,” Eric Spillman, KTLA reporter and Rubin’s longtime colleague, said during Friday’s broadcast.

Outside of his on-air work, Rubin was a founding member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, owned a self-named television production company and supported several nonprofits.

Rubin is survived by his wife, Leslie Gale Shuman, and four children.

L.A. Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.

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A different kind of storm could complicate this weekend’s plans .

For the first time since January 2005, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Friday evening.

The category G4 watch from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center signals the possibility that a concentration of energy flaring from the sun could disturb our planet’s electromagnetic field once it reaches Earth.

A geomagnetic storm of this size could disrupt communications, like the 2003 event that caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged South Africa’s power grid .

More promisingly, super-charged collisions of solar energy into the gas of our atmosphere creates the dazzling phenomena of aurora borealis , or the northern lights. Typically confined to polar regions, the colorful display could be visible this weekend as far south as Northern California.

“We have a very rare event on our hands,” space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl of SWPC said during a news conference Friday morning.

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A geomagnetic storm happens when energy from solar wind — the high-speed current of atomic particles the sun is constantly flinging into space — is transferred into the electromagnetic field that surrounds Earth.

The winds of a Category 5 hurricane on our puny little planet can exceed 150 miles per hour. In contrast, solar wind averages about 870,000 miles per hour all day, every day according to NASA .

Earth’s electromagnetic field deflects the majority of these particles, save for those interactions in the polar areas that produce the northern lights. But unusually intense or concentrated eruptions of energy on the surface of the Sun can disrupt that equilibrium, causing geomagnetic storms like the one potentially headed our way.

On Wednesday morning, astronomers noted a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections — essentially, giant explosions of energy — emanating from a massive sunspot more than 15 times the diameter of Earth.

The Space Weather Prediction Center has observed seven coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, heading in Earth’s direction, said Mike Bettwy, operations chief at SWPC.

First G4 (Severe) geomagnetic since 2005 has been issued. The aurora tonight (5/10) /tomorrow morning (5/11) may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, & possibly as far south as Alabama to northern California. https://t.co/upPlNYuNev @NWSSWPC @NWS pic.twitter.com/JTHmXtRKOc — NOAA (@NOAA) May 10, 2024

“Based on the data we have, all seven of these are going to be spewing that energy toward us,” Bettwy said.

The energy in these various eruptions is expected to merge and reach the Earth’s magnetic field late Friday or early Saturday.

“Our level of confidence is high that we will have an arrival of these CMEs as early as this evening,” Dahl said. The precise time they’ll arrive is less certain.

SPWC will have more clear information once that solar energy reaches NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft , a satellite about 1 million miles from Earth.

Yet “even though that sounds like it’s far away . . . it doesn’t necessarily give us a ton of lead time,” Bettwy said. Given that solar wind is moving faster than the speed of sound, it will reach Earth only 20 to 45 minutes after passing that 1-million-mile marker in space.

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Scientists have previously warned that the strongest geomagnetic storms could wreak havoc on our power and communication systems. That is not what’s expected in this case.

Those of us here on Earth may experience power outages and minor internet or GPS glitches, Bettwy said.

“Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations,” NOAA said in a statement . “SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action.”

Watches for milder geomagnetic storms are fairly common. In March, a geomagnetic storm briefly reached G4 strength for a few hours .

That event was the third geomagnetic storm to reach G4 status during the current 11-year solar cycle , which began in 2019, according to the SWPC. At that time, the agency said the event posed no risk of adverse impacts to the public.

“What’s unique about what is potentially about to hit us is that it’s a much more significant event, in terms of what’s going to be hitting the atmosphere,” Bettwy said.

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Corinne Purtill is a science and medicine reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Her writing on science and human behavior has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, Time Magazine, the BBC, Quartz and elsewhere. Before joining The Times, she worked as the senior London correspondent for GlobalPost (now PRI) and as a reporter and assignment editor at the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. She is a native of Southern California and a graduate of Stanford University.

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Three New Series, Breakout Comedies and Fan-Favorite Dramas Anchor NBC’s Fall Lineup Boosted by Live Tentpole Specials

Zachary Quinto-Led Drama “Brilliant Minds” and Comedy “St. Denis Medical” Join the Fall Lineup Along with More Laughs from Reba McEntire in the New Multi-cam “Happy’s Place”

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  Universal City, CA – May 10, 2024 — NBC unveils its 2024 fall schedule highlighting fan-favorite franchise dramas, two nights of laughs, huge unscripted hits and the biggest and best live specials and holiday programming.

Three new series are set to premiere in the fall: Drama “Brilliant Minds,” starring Zachary Quinto and inspired by the true story of the revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist Oliver Wolf and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier — the human mind — while also grappling with their own relationships and mental health; “St. Denis Medical,” which stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Allison Tolman and David Alan Grier, and is from co-creators Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, brings the laughs with a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity; and Reba McEntire returns to comedy with multi-camera “Happy’s Place,” in which her character inherits her father’s bar and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.

All new series will stream next day on Peacock along with the rest of NBC’s entertainment lineup.

For the 2023-24 season to date, NBC has four of the top 10 new shows among the key 18-49 demo, more than any other network. Other highlights include the #1 entertainment program “Saturday Night Live,” the #1 most-watched unscripted program “The Voice,” the #1 returning drama “Chicago P.D.,” the #1 new fall drama “Found,” the #1 entertainment telecast of 2023 “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” and the #1 most-watched summer series “America’s Got Talent.”

NBC’s 2024/25 Schedule Highlights:

MONDAY : #1 most-watched alternative series “The Voice” leads off premiere week for its 26th cycle at 8 p.m., setting the stage for the debut of true life-inspired medical drama “Brilliant Minds,” starring Zachary Quinto, at 10 p.m.

TUESDAY : Laughs lead off the evening with the premiere of mockumentary “St. Denis Medical” at 8 p.m., followed by the return of hit comedy “Night Court” at 8:30 p.m. “The Voice” takes the stage at 9 p.m. followed by the highly anticipated second season of new hit drama “The Irrational.”

WEDNESDAY : Television’s #1 drama franchise returns with the #OneChicago lineup kicking off at 8 p.m. with “Chicago Med,” continuing with “Chicago Fire” and concluding with #1 broadcast drama “Chicago P.D.”

THURSDAY : Network television’s top-rated Thursday starts with the flagship “Law & Order” at 8 p.m. followed by the record-extending 26th season of “Law & Order: SVU.” The night concludes with the return of #1 new fall drama “Found,” starring Shanola Hampton.

FRIDAY : Reba McEntire kicks off a new comedy hour at 8 p.m. with the debut of “Happy’s Place,” leading into the return of fan-favorite “Lopez vs. Lopez,” followed by hit newsmagazine “Dateline NBC” from 9-11 p.m.

SATURDAY : “Big Ten Saturday Night” is back in primetime as an expanded conference of storied college programs vie for dominance.

SUNDAY : #1 primetime television show for a record 13 consecutive years, “NBC Sunday Night Football” will broadcast 20 regular-season games throughout the NFL season.

Specials/Holidays

The 2024 “People’s Choice Country Awards” will once again air live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 26 across NBC and Peacock.

Last year, NBC’s holiday programming reached more than 100 million people across the NBCU portfolio on the strength of an unrivaled lineup of dynamic live events, specials and beloved holiday classics. The festivities continue this season, highlighted by “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked,” a special behind-the-scenes celebration of Universal Pictures’ upcoming feature film, led by superstars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and the all-star cast of “Wicked” on Nov. 25.

For the second year in a row, NBC comes to the Opry, now featuring a new master of ceremonies with “Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry,” a festive two-hour music special from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Join country music superstar group Little Big Town and friends for the holiday celebration of the year featuring performances and surprise special guests at the world-famous stage.

These lineup additions join annual favorites “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” with returning host Kelly Clarkson, “The National Dog Show” and “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” which reached a record-setting 40 million viewers as the #1 entertainment telecast of 2023. NBC will also return to Miami for an epic New Year’s Eve celebration.

The network’s highly anticipated, 10-part tentpole event series “The Americas” arrives on Feb. 23 with a special two-hour premiere. Narrated by actor, producer, and writer Tom Hanks with music by two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, the natural history series is five years in the making and filled with extraordinary new discoveries. It marks the first time North America and South America, home to the largest variety of life on the planet, are at the center of a wildlife documentary series. The series features many iconic locations in the United States, which viewers and their families will instantly recognize, but experience like they’ve never seen before.

Also arriving in 2025 are two new pulse-pounding shows: reality competition series “Destination X,” which combines a spectacular adventure with immersive gameplay and the ultimate guessing game, and procedural drama “The Hunting Party” starring Melissa Roxburgh (“Manifest”), which will see a team of investigators attempt to capture the country’s most dangerous killers. “Deal or No Deal Island” returns a new set of contestants to the Banker’s private island for season two.

“Saturday Night Live” will mark its milestone 50th anniversary with a celebratory weekend culminating in a live primetime special on Sunday, Feb. 16 from 8-11 p.m. ET.

  As part of NBC’s rolling development cycle, the following projects have been picked up to pilot with decisions yet to be made on series pickup: Dramas “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” from Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs (“Good Girls”) and “Suits: L.A.” from the world of hit legal drama “Suits” and original creator Aaron Korsh. With NBC’s 52-week scheduling strategy, these pilots – if picked up to series – could air later in the 2024-25 season or roll over to the 2025-26 season.

Up-to-date photography can be found at http://www.nbcumv.com .

NBC Fall 2024-25 Schedule

(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY 8-10 P.M. — The Voice 10-11 P.M. — BRILLIANT MINDS

TUESDAY 8-8:30 P.M. —ST. DENIS MEDICAL 8:30-9 P.M. — Night Court 9-10 P.M. — The Voice 10-11 P.M. — The Irrational

WEDNESDAY 8-9 P.M. — Chicago Med 9-10 P.M. — Chicago Fire 10-11 P.M. — Chicago P.D.

THURSDAY 8-9 P.M. — Law & Order 9-10 P.M. — Law & Order: SVU 10-11 P.M. — Found

FRIDAY 8-8:30 P.M. — HAPPY’S PLACE 8:30-9 P.M. — Lopez vs. Lopez 9-11 P.M — Dateline NBC

SATURDAY 7-7:30 P.M. ET— Big Ten Pregame / Notre Dame Pregame (also live on Peacock) 7:30-11 P.M. ET— Big Ten Saturday Night / Notre Dame Football (also live on Peacock)

SUNDAY 7-8:20 P.M. ET— Football Night in America (also live on Peacock) 8:20-11 P.M. ET— NBC Sunday Night Football (also live on Peacock)

New Comedy Series

“Happy’s Place” : Bobbi (Reba McEntire) inherits her father’s bar and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had. (Multi-cam)

The series stars Reba McEntire, Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

Writer Kevin Abbott executive produces with Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Julie Abbott and Reba McEntire.

“Happy’s Place” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“St. Denis Medical” : A mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity.

The cast includes Wendi McClendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Mekki Leeper and Kahyun Kim.

Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin will write and executive produce. Simon Heuer also executive produces with director Ruben Fleisher (pilot only).

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, produces in association with Spitzer Holding Company.

New Drama Series

“Brilliant Minds” : Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, “Brilliant Minds” follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier – the human mind – while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.

The cast includes Zachary Quinto, Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears and Donna Murphy.

Michael Grassi serves as writer and executive producer. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Melissa Aouate, Henrik Bastin, Andy Serkis, Jonathan Cavendish and Will Tennant also executive produce.

Berlanti Productions, Fabel Entertainment, The Imaginarium, Grassi Productions and Tavala produce in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“The Hunting Party” : A high-concept crime procedural about a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers our country has ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.

The cast includes Melissa Roxburgh

JJ Bailey and Jake Coburn will write and executive produce.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, will produce.

New Unscripted Series

“The Americas” : From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the creators of the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy Award-winning “Planet Earth” and “Blue Planet,” in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, comes the epic 10-part tentpole event series “The Americas.”

Marking the first time acclaimed actor, producer and writer Tom Hanks will narrate an unscripted entertainment series, “The Americas” will also feature music by two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. This incomparable project will employ revolutionary filmmaking technology that will showcase the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the Americas – Earth’s largest landmass and the only one to stretch between both poles – and reveal extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that deeply connect with millions around the world.   “The Americas” is executive produced by renowned Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning wildlife producer Mike Gunton (“Life,” “Planet Earth II,” and “Dynasties”) for BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the world’s largest production unit dedicated to wildlife filmmaking, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“Destination X” : Merging fantasy with reality in this larger-than-life adventure competition series, viewers will follow contestants as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime but have no idea of their location. In order to win, they must figure out their mystery locations. Once they’re on the blacked-out Destination X bus, the journey transforms into a real-life game board, with challenges designed to offer clever clues as to their location, along with a few misdirects to keep them guessing.

At the end of each episode, the contestant who places an X on a map furthest from the actual location packs their bags. The first participant to reach Destination X will be crowned the winner. With high stakes and mind-blowing, spectacular gameplay, the series will keep viewers engaged and playing along on all screens.

Caroline Davies, Andy Cadman Dan Adamson and David Clews will executive produce. Shireen Abbott and Karen Hudson will oversee production.

Twofour and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, will produce.

New Specials

“Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked” : In celebration of the generation-defining, cinematic event of the year, international superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lead an all-star cast in a journey through a dazzling new vision of Oz, created for Universal Pictures’ “Wicked.” As they unveil some of the most spectacular sets ever created for film, “Wicked” stars Erivo and Grande are joined by Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey and more to host this thrilling behind-the-scenes special, sharing their personal memories, intimate video diaries and secrets of the making of “Wicked,” culminating in the debut of a world-exclusive scene from the film.

Andrew Smith will executive produce. Monkey Kingdom will produce.

NBC’s primetime, late night and daytime programming have earned critical acclaim, numerous awards and ratings success, including more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. The network’s current slate includes new hit series “Found” and “The Irrational,” the Dick Wolf-produced “Law & Order” and One Chicago franchises, which include the top two longest-running drama series on television “Law & Order: SVU” and “Law & Order.” The network’s current comedy lineup is highlighted by network television’s hit comedies “Night Court” and “Lopez vs Lopez.” Unscripted series for NBC include Emmy Award-winning musical competition hit “The Voice” and “Deal or No Deal Island,” and perennial #1 summer series “America’s Got Talent.” NBC regularly delivers #1 broadcast results with “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” and “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” along with “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “Saturday Night Live” in late night. NBC is part of NBCUniversal’s Entertainment portfolio, which includes NBC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen True Crime, SYFY, Universal Kids, USA Network and Peacock. For more information, visit NBC.com.

Media Contacts

For Corporate: Allison Rawlings Matt Lifson Stuart Levine

For Scripted: Deborah Thomas

For Unscripted: Jennifer Geisser

For Late Night & Specials: Lauren Roseman

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Sam rubin, longtime ktla entertainment reporter and anchor, dies at 64.

He joined the L.A. station in 1991 and worked red carpets and morning shows. "He made every human being feel so special and got them to open up like a flower," says Henry Winkler.

By Christy Piña

Christy Piña

Associate Editor

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Sam Rubin, the popular entertainment anchor on KTLA -TV’s morning show since 1991, has died, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. He was 64.

According to TMZ , Rubin died of a heart attack on Friday. He was on the air Thursday morning.

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Perry Sook — founder, chairman and CEO of Nexstar, the majority owner of the local station — also issued a statement. “Sam was an icon in Los Angeles and the entertainment industry, and he was a beloved member of our Nexstar Nation,” he wrote.

Rubin’s manager, Jamie Gruttemeyer, shared her own note with THR : “Morning news will never be the same. I think we all feel that losing Sam is like losing a close family friend. Someone who could always lift your spirits, someone who was welcome in your home and always showed up with a smile on his face. Sam will be forever missed.”

During a segment in which KTLA anchors shared the news and memories, weatherman Mark Kriski called in to talk about his colleague. “Everyone in Hollywood knows Sam Rubin … He was my friend. The wonderful thing about Sam is he always thought big and dreamt bigger.

“He was just so genuine, and the Sam you saw on TV was the Sam in our hearts and our lives. Goddamn it, no. It’s too early for him to go. The sun didn’t shine as bright this morning, and the stars won’t twinkle as bright tonight.”

Multiple celebrities called the station to pay tribute to him.

“I just read the news, and it’s the most horrible thing,” Henry Winkler said from an airport. “Two things I know: He made you feel special every single time, and I’m not the only person who felt that warmth every time they sat down at your desk.”

Former  Dancing With the Stars  pro and podcast host Cheryl Burke also called in. “I’m literally going through pictures in tears at the moment,” she said. “He was my podcast dad whether he liked it or not.” She described chatting with him as “being in my living room talking with a friend,” adding, “He was very present when I was being interviewed by him.”

Jerry O’Connell, who had just appeared on KTLA on Friday morning, rejoined the station to honor the late anchor. “There is an outpouring of emotion in this town right now. This is devastating news … It is a very emotional, sad day not only for the KTLA family but for the entertainment industry as a whole,” the actor said. “The man was a legend. “The entertainment industry is a scary place. It’s an unfriendly place. It’s a competitive place. I’m going to say Sam was the kindest, warmest soul in this insane town. He greeted everyone with open arms and warmth. My first live interview was with Sam Rubin at KTLA in your old studio … He treated everyone with the same amount of love, respect, warmth … he was inspiring.”

For L.A. entertainment diehards, the San Diego native was a staple of the industry, one who reported from many a red carpet in addition to his role as the face of showbiz on Channel 5. He often hosted the station’s Live From the Academy Awards and had his own celebrity talk show, Hollywood Uncensored , for a spell. Rubin was beloved for his friendly demeanor and was not afraid to ask difficult questions on a beat that many network newscasts often treat as fluff.

His work has been published around the world. He often appeared on BBC television and radio and was a regular contributor to Australia’s Triple M radio and Channel 9.

Not only was Rubin a long-standing anchor/reporter with KTLA, he also owned a television production company called SRE Inc. It produced more than 200 hours of broadcast and cable programs, including several of his Live From red carpet shows and Hollywood Uncensored.

Rubin was one of the founding members of what was then called the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which has since merged with the Broadcast Television Association to form the Critics Choice Association, which is the largest critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, with more than 600 members.

The Critics Choice Association said it was “devastated by the sudden loss of our dear friend Sam Rubin, a longtime member of our board of directors and a guiding force throughout our 30-year history. Sam’s generous spirit, unfailing good humor and deep knowledge of Hollywood made him a legend in the entertainment business and a trusted friend to millions of viewers — and to hundreds of stars who relaxed in easy conversation with him on his set at KTLA and on countless red carpets.”

Survivors include his wife, Leslie, and his four children: daughters Perry, Rory and Darcy and son Colby.

Lesley Goldberg and Lexy Perez contributed to this report.

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Rare spectacle: Northern Lights display visible to UK tonight due to intense solar storm

• Weather Explainer
• Environment
• Friday 10 May 2024 at 10:36pm

Meteorologist and Weather Presenter, ITV Anglia

For the first time since January 2005, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center in America has issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch.

It means it could provide one of the best viewing opportunities to see the Aurora Borealis - or Northern Lights - for the whole of the UK.

A sunspot, an area of high solar activity, 16 times wider than Earth, has a number of solar flares and complex coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which are currently hurtling towards planet Earth.

It's due to arrive Friday night but may continue to be seen Saturday night too.

What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)?

CMEs are eruptions of plasma and magnetic energy from the sun's corona. When directed towards Earth, they trigger geomagnetic storms which we see as the Aurora.

The stronger the geomagnetic storm, and the further south it is in the northern hemisphere, the more it becomes visible to us.

Intense geomagnetic storms can potentially disrupt communication systems, the power grid, navigation tools, radio transmissions, and satellite operations, both in near-Earth orbit and on the Earth's surface.

How can I see the aurora?

The aurora is most common in the winter months when the nights are longer, so the shorter nights will mean you have got a late night ahead.

My top viewing tips are:

Look to the northern horizon: The aurora is drawn towards the polar regions of the Earth. As a result you might not be able to see it directly overhead, but as it happens so high in sky look towards the northern horizon where it's likely to be dancing.

You can see it with the naked eye but cameras tend to capture it better. This is because cameras can adapt to different wave lengths better than our eyes. Give yourself time to adjust, at least 10 minutes.

Find dark, open spaces: Seek out locations away from city lights and other sources of light pollution. Open fields, parks, or remote areas with unobstructed views of the northern horizon are ideal for aurora watching.

Be patient and persistent: Seeing the aurora requires patience and persistence, as it can be unpredictable and may not appear every night, even during periods of high activity. Stay flexible with your plans and be prepared to wait for hours if necessary.

Use long exposures for photography: If you're interested in photographing the aurora, use a camera with manual settings and a tripod to capture long exposures. Experiment with different exposure times and ISO settings to achieve the best results.

Stay up late: Auroras are often most active in the late evening to early morning hours, so plan to stay up late or wake up early for the best chance of seeing a spectacular display.

What's the science behind the Aurora?

Charged particles from the sun, primarily electrons and protons, collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere, typically oxygen and nitrogen.

These collisions emit light at various wavelengths, creating vibrant displays of colour in the sky, often appearing as curtains, arcs, or bands of light.

The colours are determined by the type of gas particles involved and the altitude at which the collisions occur.

Greens appear due to interactions with oxygen, red is from oxygen in the upper atmosphere while blues and purples are due to the interaction of nitrogen.

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