Kevin Wing
On this weeks, “Break through the Noise” podcast, we speak with a true broadcast news veteran, Kevin Wing of NBC11.
Kevin hails from Fremont and has spent the majority of his storied career in the San Francisco Bay area. If anyone knows ‘influence,’ it’s Kevin.
Kevin Wing marks his 23rd year in television news this year. He has served as a news reporter, news producer, assignment editor, assignment manager, writer, special projects producer, field producer, anchor, executive producer, news director and interim executive director.
Wow!
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More about Kevin:
Born in the San Francisco Bay Area and raised in Fremont, Kevin knew at age 10 that he wanted to be a television reporter, after watching local TV news broadcasts of newspaper heir Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, in 1974. Kevin was a prolific writer for the school newspaper at Mission San Jose High School. From there, he attended Ohlone College, serving as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, news producer and news anchor of the college’s weekly TV newscast and news director and air personality at the college radio station, to which Kevin was granted his FCC broadcast operator’s license two weeks after his 18th birthday. Kevin graduated from Ohlone, later continuing his studies at San Jose State University, where he became a reporter, producer and anchor of the university’s award-winning weekly TV newscast. Before graduating from San Jose State, Kevin launched his professional TV career shortly after his 23rd birthday, working as a news intern and writer for KICU-TV Channel 36 in San Jose.
From there, Kevin joined KTVU Channel 2 in Oakland in 1987 as a news intern and weekend assignment editor. He eventually did double duty, also working as an assignment desk assistant at KGO-TV Channel 7 in San Francisco, in early 1988. His first permanent full-time position would come in the fall of 1988 when he joined KFMB-TV Channel 8 in San Diego — the nation’s 25th largest TV market — as an assignment editor. Desiring to launch his reporting career, Kevin relocated to Eureka in 1989 to become news anchor, reporter and producer at KIEM-TV Channel 3. He anchored the Sunday evening newscast as well as the live cut-in segments each weekday morning during NBC’s “Today” show. After two months on the air in the anchor chair, Kevin became the most-watched news anchor on the North Coast of California, representing the nation’s 187th-largest TV market. In fact, his newscasts’ ratings quadrupled the ratings from the same period the year before.
For KGO-TV, Kevin interviews Joe Montana after a charity event in downtown San Jose.
During his time in Eureka, Kevin continually stayed in touch with his former KTVU news director, the legendary Fred Zehnder. Kevin would send tapes to Fred, asking for critiques on how he could improve and be polished enough to work again in the Bay Area. Fred was always gracious — and patient — in offering his insight and feedback to Kevin. Soon, in 1990, Kevin jumped at the opportunity to return to the Bay Area and to KTVU. The station was about to launch the West Coast’s first two-hour morning newscast, “Mornings On Two”. Fred Zehnder hired Kevin to become the morning show’s first solo assignment editor. It was a position Kevin would hold for the next 10 years. During that decade, Kevin expanded his role at KTVU to include reporting and field producing duties. It was a dream come true for him to be a Bay Area TV reporter on his native turf. During Kevin’s decade at Channel 2, he was a part of the coverage of the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm, the 1994 OJ Simpson arrest and two subsequent criminal and civil trials for murder, the 1995 Bay Area winter floods and the 2000 Millenium celebration. Through his involvement through “Mornings On Two”, Kevin was able to meet former President Jimmy Carter and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, among other notables.
Kevin and photographer Chuck Leighton wrapping up what would later become an award-winning story for KTVU atop the South Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.
During his years at KTVU, Kevin also reported for KNTV Channel 11 in San Jose and KFTY Channel 50 in Santa Rosa (both stations did not compete against KTVU at that time). While working full-time at KTVU, news director Fred Zehnder allowed Kevin to report for both stations as a freelancer. He reported for KFTY for one year, and stayed at KNTV for four years.
Seeking a calling to join news management ranks, Kevin made the difficult decision in 2000 to leave KTVU to join KGO-TV as assignment manager for its then-expanding South Bay Bureau in San Jose. During the next four years, Kevin would also serve as field producer for the South Bay Bureau, his superiors sending him out to interview anyone from actor Clint Eastwood (who faced a legal challenge in San Jose in the early 2000s) to football legend Joe Montana. Kevin would eventually serve as assignment manager of the station’s early morning and midday newscasts.
In 2004, Kevin joined KRON-TV Channel 4 in San Francisco as a freelance news writer for the station’s newscasts, particularly its six-hour-long morning newscast and its evening news broadcasts. He also filled in on the assignment desk, whenever necessary. In 2007, Kevin joined TV30, a small independent station in Pleasanton, as its news producer and news director. He later went on to become interim executive director of the station.
Today, Kevin is a freelance network field producer for ABC News, covering news stories in the Bay Area and northern California for the network’s Los Angeles news bureau. He is also a public relations professional, to which he has also worked in the business for the last three years. Kevin is also executive producer and host of a TV and Podcast travel series, “Catch a Wave”. He also pens “Beach Trip” and “Suite Surrender”, two travel columns for AARisings.com, a site showcasing up-and-coming Asian Americans. Kevin also writes a monthly travel column for ALIVE Magazine and is also a contributing writer of Silver Circle and Gold Circle profiles for the San Francisco chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Always desiring to help colleagues, peers and journalism students, Kevin has served on the board of the Bay Area Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, first as co-president (2005-2007), then as vice president, broadcast (2007-2008, 2009-2010) and vice president (2008). He also served on the board in 1999-2000.
Kevin is also very involved in the Bay Area community. For the last 12 years, he has served as master of ceremonies of the popular Independence Day Parade events in his hometown of Fremont. He is also a volunteer for Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) in Walnut Creek and the Northern California chapter of Special Olympics.
Kevin resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
