Longtime L.A. Radio News Anchor Jack Popejoy Dies
Longtime CBS radio news anchor, reporter and journalist Jack Popejoy died of complications from cancer at his home in Sherman Oaks, KNX announced on Sunday. He was 63.
Popejoy, who anchored the morning news program on KNX 1070 along with Dick Helton and Vicky Moore since February 2009, died Saturday.
He continued to work on-air until late January. From 1986-2009, he worked at sister station KFWB, where he served as the morning news anchor since 2000.
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a statement lauding Popejoy for his work with first responders.
“Jack Popejoy was involved in emergency planning and management, contributing his significant expertise to the city of Los Angeles Emergency Operations Organization for more years than any other person, and remained an adviser to the county of Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management and ardent supporter of the American Red Cross,” fire officials said in the statement.
Born in Austin in 1947, Popejoy spent his early years in the Delaware Valley, living in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
He came to Southern California in the early 70s and wrote jingles for commercials. In 1972 he was hired as a weekend DJ, then weekday announcer for KIIS, eventually becoming the program director.
In 1976, he became a newscaster at KPOL AM and FM. A year later, as the program director, he changed KPOL-FM’s call letters to KZLA.
In 1983, Popejoy joined KCOP, Channel 13, as a reporter and fill-in anchor, after having spent a few years as a news director and anchor in San Francisco television.
A multiple-award winner for broadcast excellence, locally Popejoy was recognized in 1998 as Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists. He won 27 Golden Mikes from the Radio Television News Association of Southern California, including a best newscast award just last month for Best News Broadcast. He won eight Press Club Awards.
For the past several months, Popejoy was co-host of KNX Tech News on Saturday afternoons. He created KFWB’s original website and served as its webmaster for a decade.
Popejoy mentored the fire department’s media relations staff, and city fire named him an honorary chief in 1989.
“Jack’s inquiring mind led him to be an indisputable expert on fires, floods and especially earthquakes, not to mention space exploration and astronomy,” the fire officials said in their statement.
“To this day, many are surprised to hear that the humble Mr. Popejoy was a regional semi-finalist in NASA’s Journalist-in-Space competition, which was canceled in the wake of the Challenger disaster.
“As one of the creators of the annual Great California ShakeOut, with 8 million participants, and a valued crisis communications trainer to countless public officials, Jack leaves a legacy of excellence, as well as an emotional hole in our hearts.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
