Bill Lamb, KTTV-KCOP General Manager, To Retire

Bill Lamb, senior vice president and general manager of Fox’s KTTV (Fox)-KCOP (MNT) duopoly in Los Angeles today announced his retirement. Lamb has been with KTTV-KCOP since July of 2017.

Before that he spent 17 years as GM of WDRB-WBKI Louisville, Ky., and was also VP of broadcast operations for Block Communications, overseeing eight television stations.

He has been in broadcasting for more than 50 years starting in Flint, Mich. He then moved to Nashville;, Jacksonville, Fla’; Birmingham, Ala.; Miami; and Peoria, Ill., before Louisville and Los Angeles.

He told his staff today: “As I have said before, ‘The only constant is change.’  In that spirit, I’ve made the decision to step away from my 50-year television career. I don’t know if I’m comfortable calling it ‘retirement,’ but I do plan to spend more time with my family and my golf clubs! I’m not leaving tomorrow. I will be continuing in my role here at KTTV until October 3, or until they name my replacement.

“My time here with you has been dynamic, invigorating, and productive during some very challenging times. The pandemic presented many challenges, which we, as a station, met head on and overcame. Honestly, if you had asked me before COVID-19 if we could operate a television station remotely and never miss a newscast, I would have said it was impossible. Unthinkable. Preposterous! And I would have been wrong. Sadly, the pandemic also forced an isolation on us all that prevented many of us from getting to know each other better. I have not enjoyed that.

“I’ve met and worked with many talented people. We’ve produced some amazing and compelling specials like the town hall with Pete Buttigieg, gubernatorial and mayoral debates, documentaries like Rising Up, When Magic Shocked the World, Lost Angeles, and our newest doc, Hell and No Water as well as brilliant extended Super Bowl and Emmys coverage. Our coverage of the fires and riots was mesmerizing. We built a beautiful new set to enhance and amplify our storytelling and presentation. We’ve welcomed some fresh and accomplished people into the building, too many to mention for fear of leaving someone out. And our sales team has proven time and again that they can maximize big opportunities like NFL, World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, and the Super Bowl itself like nobody else. They are elite.

“I’d be remiss not to mention Fox. This is an excellent company — better than I ever imagined it would be before I joined. From the way they stepped up to give us whatever we needed to keep our people safe during the worst of COVID, to paying for health care premiums for more than a year and a half, their commitment to diversity and fairness, I grade them the highest of marks.

“And to Jack Abernethy who gave me this opportunity, I say ‘Thank you.’ He is honest, smart and never lets us get caught in the trap of resisting change just because it’s uncomfortable. I can honestly say, he remains the most interesting person I’ve ever met.

“Best wishes to all of you, to KTTV-KCOP, and the entire Fox family.”

In 2018, Lamb was inducted into the Kentucky Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame.