SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – It's with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to veteran reporter Bob Butler, who is retiring today after 42 years with KCBS Radio.
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Bob was 28 when he first walked into the newsroom as an intern. In addition to his distinguished career reporting at KCBS Radio, Bob also spent many years training young journalists and working to expand diversity in journalism.
"When I first started I had been in the Navy, I'd worked for (Bell) Telephone, 411 directory assistance and a bunch of other things, but when I got here — I came back to the Bay Area from Pittsburgh after getting out of the Navy and I wanted to be a DJ on the radio," Bob said to Eric Thomas and Margie Shafer on KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert."
His first days as a reporter started with an unexpected run-in after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
"I go out in the Marina District and I'm watching people walking with all they can carry in a shopping cart," Bob described. "That was their life that was in that shopping cart and it was really traumatic. I sat there at lunch in Marina Middle School and all of a sudden I started crying. I just got overwhelmed with the tragedy and someone started rubbing me on my shoulders and I looked around and it was Nancy Pelosi."
In 1981, Bob joined the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a union that represents broadcasters that later became SAG-AFTRA. He was elected as the National Broadcast Vice President at the 2019 SAG-AFTRA convention.
Bob is also part of NABJ — the National Association of Black Journalists — which offers innovative training, career advancement opportunities and advocacy initiatives for Black journalists. He became the regional director in 2007, then was promoted to vice president of broadcast in 2009 and was elected as the 20th president of NAJB in 2013.
He told "Ask An Expert" that the status of diversity in broadcast is "not good." In 2007-2008, Bob conducted a census to reveal how many people of color were working behind the scenes in news. Out of 61 stations owned by ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, there were 61 people of color in management.
"If you're in Chicago or Atlanta or San Francisco and there's no diversity on your staff, then that becomes an issue and we work to try to increase that," he stated.
After 42 years of work, Bay Area listeners will miss Bob's familiar voice on KBCS Radio and he will miss them as well.
"I've been here more than half my life. Even though I know it's been coming, it's emotional," Bob said. "I'm going to miss the people."
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