STUDIO CITY (CNS) - Emmy-winning reporter Dave Lopez retires today after 43 years at KCBS-TV Channel 2.
Lopez announced his retirement on June 13, the 43rd anniversary of his first day at the station.
“Forty-three years ago today (6/13/77), a young reporter began his career at CBS2 in LA,'' Lopez tweeted. “Can't think of a better way to put a ribbon on it all. So today ... I am announcing my retirement. 72 years old, 43 years at CBS and 48 in LA. It's time. No regrets. Just grateful. Signing off June 30th.''
Lopez joined KNXT in 1977 as a general assignment reporter after being a general assignment reporter, weekend anchor and sports reporter at KFMB, the CBS affiliate in San Diego. Lopez began his television career as a general assignment and sports reporter at KHJ-TV Channel 9 (now KCAL) and produced the station's sports specials.
KNXT changed its call letters to KCBS in 1984. Since 2002, Lopez's reports have also aired on KCAL as part of its duopoly with KCBS.
Lopez was a sports writer at the Huntington Park Daily Signal newspaper before beginning his career in television news. He attended East Los Angeles College and graduated from California State Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
Lopez has also received Golden Mike and Associated Press awards.
“It has been an absolutely marvelous ride,'' Lopez said in a video posted on his Facebook page recorded in a KCBS/KCAL news van. “Am I sad? No. Honestly I'm not sad. Am I unhappy? No. I'm not unhappy. Do I have regrets? No. Of course not. I have been a very, very lucky, fortunate man.
“I've had a ball. I've covered just about every major story that has happed in Los Angeles since 1972. Loved every minute of it.''
Lopez said he “almost quit'' after the death of his wife, “but my daughter told me to keep going.''
Lopez said he had been thinking about retiring “for quite a while.''
“The opportunity came up and we just pushed the time frame up a little bit, but I'm happy and grateful and thankful,'' Lopez said. “To quote Lou Gehrig, `I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face on the Earth.'''