Sacramento News Icon Stan Atkinson Dies at 92

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Stan Atkinson, a legendary anchor and journalist, died on Sunday at the age of 92, confirmed his son to KCRA 3.

Atkinson was a staple of Northern California news for decades, beginning his career at KCRA just two years after the station launched in 1955. Known as ‘the man who owns Sacramento,’ Atkinson shaped the local news landscape with his commitment to storytelling.

Born in Los Angeles, Atkinson studied journalism at Pasadena City College and served in the Korean War before embarking on his broadcasting career. He was just 25 when he joined KCRA, where a complete stranger turned out to be a pivotal figure in his career. Station owner Gene Kelly discovered Atkinson while watching him on air, famously questioning how he had hired such a young newcomer.

Atkinson’s early days in television were marked by a rapidly evolving news landscape. His first newscast was a brief 10-minute segment, five minutes of which was dedicated to sports. Sponsored segments included products like Hostess snacks, which Atkinson humorously recounted in a 2015 interview.

Throughout his career, Stan Atkinson was at the forefront of major innovations in broadcasting, from the first color television broadcast to live election coverage. He was known for interviewing both celebrities like Betty White as well as notorious figures, including Charles Manson.

Atkinson left KCRA in the early 1960s for larger stations like KNBC and KTVU but returned to Sacramento in 1976, with KCRA welcoming him back with a prominent advertisement declaring his return.

His journalism took him to war-torn regions, producing a documentary called ‘The Village that Refuses to Die’ about Vietnam in 1961. He reported from conflict zones in El Salvador and Afghanistan, establishing a reputation for seeking out the stories that mattered.

Sacramento audiences knew him not just as a journalist but as a community figure. After retiring from KOVR, he returned to KCRA to celebrate its 60th anniversary and actively contributed to various local charities.

Stan Atkinson is remembered as a mentor to many journalists, inspiring generations with his dedication to the news. His legacy will continue to resonate within the Sacramento community as the studio he once inhabited stands ready for the next chapter of local journalism.