Dennis Richmond, a beloved Bay Area newsman and trailblazing Black journalist, died Wednesday, his former news channel, KTVU announced. He was 81.

“Dennis was a strong presence in the KTVU newsroom for decades, guiding the team and setting high standards for himself and his colleagues in everything they did,” the channel’s general manager Mellynda Hartel said. “His impact is still felt in the KTVU newsroom today.”

Richmond sat behind the anchor’s desk at KTVU − a local Fox station serving San Francisco and the surrounding cities − for over 30 years. First rising to the post in 1976 after being hired as a clerk, he retired in 2008 just before he turned 65.

A rare story in the news business, he remained not only on one network but at one station for the entirety of his career, forming a unique dialogue with viewers who welcomed his voice into their living rooms each evening at 10 p.m.

Among the country’s first Black anchors to work in a major market, Richmond broke down barriers for generations of journalists to come.

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Talking Northern California through decades of tragedy and triumph, Richmond delivered the news of Patricia “Patty” Hearst’s 1976 kidnapping and subsequent trial − a bizarre celebrity crime story that shook the state and captured a national audience.

In 1978, Richmond sat behind the desk for the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk by former Supervisor Dan White.

Then, as the region suffered a string of natural disasters, he co-anchored the Loma Prieta earthquake from the KTVU parking lot in 1989 and reported on the Oakland Hills firestorm in 1991.

In an interview with KTVU, Richmond’s longtime co-anchor Julie Haener said his loss would be felt widely.

“He was a fighter,” she told the outlet. “He held on for as long as he could. He was so respected. This news is going to hit people really, really hard.” 

Richmond is survived by his wife, daughter and stepson, KTVU reports.