KCBS-KCAL Anchor Kent Shocknek To Retire

Longtime KCBS (CBS) and KCAL (independent) Los Angeles anchor Kent Shocknek today announced his plans to retire at the end of September.

A veteran of more than 36 years in television news, Shocknek has been a fixture in Los Angeles for 31 years and is believed to have anchored more hours of news on local television than anyone else in the history of the market, according to KCBS.

Shocknek was the original anchor of Today in L.A., which debuted in 1986. He joined KCBS in 2001 and anchored morning and evening newscasts for the station until November 2013, when he became co-anchor of sister station KCAL’s top-rated 8 and 10 p.m. newscasts.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council honored Shocknek for his decades of service by proclaiming Jan. 10 “Kent Shocknek Day.”

“Kent Shocknek is a Los Angeles TV news institution,” said Steve Mauldin, president-GM of KCBS-KCAL.  “He’s a consummate professional who has distinguished himself as an outstanding breaking news anchor with an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of Southern California.

“We wish he was staying with us, but respect his decision to make a lifestyle change,” Mauldin added. “We are grateful for all he has meant to CBS 2 and KCAL 9 over the years and look forward to celebrating his amazing career during the next two months.”