Ex-news anchor Dennis Richmond has no regrets

Dennis Richmond retired from his anchor job at KTVU Channel 2 News on his 65th birthday - May 26, 2008. He had been with the station for 40 years, and had anchored the 10 o'clock news since 1976. Richmond now lives in Grass Valley (Nevada County) with his wife, Deborah. They live on a quiet private road with a golf course on one side and woods on the other, and he has a view of the No. 5 green from his bedroom window.

Q: Do you miss anchoring and being a newsman?

A: It's not that I miss anchoring. I miss my colleagues. I visited the station last weekend. I went and sat at my old desk. It felt good.

Q: Any recent stories you would've loved to cover?

A: I wish I had been there doing the campaign and inauguration of Obama. My former news director said, "Dennis, after 40 years sitting behind that desk, as soon as you leave there is the first African American president." I do feel cheated. And, this situation with Haiti. ... Whenever there is a big news story, I feel I should be there. I still have dreams, nightmares really, about going to work. I can't get to the set on time and I'm hearing, "Dennis, two minutes to air."

Q: What do you think of the trend now for many anchors, notably at CNN, to become a part of the story and to become very openly emotional?

A: I don't blame my colleagues for this. I blame the consultants. Everything now is about ratings. You can't tell the difference today between news and entertainment.

Q: Do you remember your first show as anchor?

A: I remember the first time I was on air. I was anchoring the morning news show at Channel 2. I was so terrified that beads of sweat were rolling off of me. When the camera came on, the first thing I did was forgot my name. I had to look down at the script.

Q: What were the biggest stories you covered?

A: The Loma Prieta earthquake. The Oakland hills fire. Then there were the smaller stories that were emotionally jarring. I covered a plane crash where I got there and there were bodies all over the place. I was walking amidst the bodies taking notes.

Q: You were known to deliver the news dispassionately. Was that natural or cultivated?