Even though I haven’t lived in LA for about 10 years, Hal Fishman still ranks as one of the greatest local newscasters I have ever seen. He had an almost-Walter Cronkite presence about him that made you feel you were getting real news, not just watching some talking head reading off a teleprompter.
Even if you are not from LA, you have probably seen him in many films playing the role of a newscaster
A sad day for television news reporting.
I grew up in San Diego, but we watched KTLA a lot and I remember him always having this very casual gravitas. Very no-nonsense, and never pandering (though a little wry humor would sneak through at times). RIP.
KTLA … Sharon Tay? (yum)
I’m surprised he didn’t get picked up by a cable network like some of his fellow colleagues (Jim Lampley, Steve Kemetko, etc.). Anyone know of some of the other people he worked with that went on to national work?
Truly sad. 
The end of an era. Hal was the last news anchor I respected or trusted. We are all the poorer for his passing.
Sharon Tay has been gone for quite a while, but she was certainly easy on the eyes.
Back OT…
I’ve lived in LA all my life, and I’ve been a Channel 5 watcher for probably 10 or 15 years. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Hal, even though I’ve never been fond of his commentary. His delivery of the news and his expertise in breaking news situations is, in my opinion, unparalled locally. He will be missed.
I always watch the morning news while getting ready for work, and it was quite the shock today when they switched from the normal format to talking about Hal when they got the news while on the air. I don’t watch the evening news very often anymore, so I didn’t even know he had been ill, and I guess it was all incredibly sudden anyway.
Wow.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, I’ll always have memories of my father and I watching the KTLA News at Ten with Hal Fishman. Even in my 30’s, when I would go back back to visit my folks in LA, pop and I would still have Hal to update us nightly. No longer…
RIP Pilot, you’ve flying up to a higher place.
I remember watching Hal Fishman. I’ve seen his name in AOPA Pilot, under trivia questions sent in by readers. I appreciated his reporting when there was an aviation story, as he knew what he was talking about.