Colleagues, Politicians Say Farewell To Political Reporter Dave Bryan As He Heads To Retirement

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — After more than 40 years, including 25 with CBS2/KCAL9, Political Reporter Dave Bryan retired from television Friday.

"It's something I never thought would happen. When you just work every day, you're never thinking this day would come," Bryan told his CBSLA colleagues.

In 1970, a 21-year-old Dave Bryan started his career in broadcast journalism on Washington D.C.'s Top 40 radio station, reading the news headlines at the top of the hour.

Bryan was at the radio station for a mere two months before getting fired from the on-air position.

"I got fired off the air. I was so nervous, I couldn't speak while breathing...," Bryan told CBSLA's Pat Harvey.

Bryan rebounded quickly and became a radio reporter working in the streets of Baltimore.

After five years, Bryan started at Baltimore's top television station, WJZ, around the same time a 22-year-old Oprah Winfrey did.

Bryan became the station's investigative reporter for the next six years, uncovering scammers and asking the tough questions.

In 1982, Bryan received an offer from CBS San Francisco's KPIX, where he worked for 8 years covering everything from serial killers and immigration raids to heatwaves.

Bryan was there for the coverage of the deadly 1989 Bay Area earthquake.

"I ran back to the station, literally ran into the studio, and put it on the air. I think I was still out of breath," Bryan recalled. "One of the reasons I got in the business was, I want to be where the action is."

In 1989, KPIX sent Bryan to Beijing to cover the Tiananmen Square protests, where students were risking their lives to demand democratic reforms from the communist government.

"It was pretty scary, it really was. This was one of those things like 'What am I getting myself into?' This was a bad time for China, and when things go bad, that's how they reacted. It was very scary. It was scary to watch and be part of."

Bryan's reporting helped fuel a passion that would help guide his career for the next 25 years covering politics.

Bryan joined the KCAL9 team in 1994 as the full-time political reporter covering presidents, governors, senators, mayors, councilmembers. The people and policies that impact the quality of people's lives in our country, state, and our local communities.

Some of the politicians he has met over the span of his career shared farewell messages to the well-respected reporter.

"Hey Dave, just a few words. First of all, you're really copping out to retire, you're too dang young," said Former California Governor Jerry Brown.

California Senator Kamala Harris said, "Hey Dave. Congratulations to you, and thank you, because you know, one of the pillars of our democracy is having an informed public through a free and open press. I am so grateful for the work you do to bring truth to California and the American public. And thank you for all of the tough questions over the years."

His reports kept people of power accountable, regardless of how big and powerful some of them were.

"You've met so many people. Do they really work for us or are they in it for themselves?" asked Harvey.

Bryan replied, "Some of them are really hardworking and really have the best of intentions, and some are not. One of the things I learned is it's not about the political view, it's about the kind of person they are."

Bryan lives and breathes politics, but he's always been up for any big story.

"You were always straight and truthful, and I want you to know, personally, you were such a good asset to good journalism," said California Senator Dianne Feinstein.

When the Iraq War broke out in 2003, Bryan went to the front lines with U.S. troops.

In 2005, he spent weeks in Louisiana covering the devastating hurricane and flood, Hurricane Katrina.

The intelligence, fairness, and clarity Bryan brought to complex and critically important stories has earned him well-deserved respect throughout the community.

CBS This Morning host Gayle King wished Bryan a happy retirement saying, "Hey Dave, we just heard. Everybody in the studio is talking about you because we heard that you were retiring, so we all want to send best wishes to you on your retirement."

After 43 years of journalism, Bryan gave the last broadcast of his long career Friday evening.

"Part of it is because of all the pressure of just hammering things out every day...and I think it really brings us closer, and I just feel like that this is my family here, it really is...and that's the thing I will miss the most," said Bryan.

It may be his goodbye to television, but from all of us at CBSLA, it's not "goodbye" to Dave.