12/26/2023 0 Comments Komo news anchor dies![]() The Seattle chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences inducted Bill into its “Silver Circle,” a lifetime award for broadcasting excellence. In his time at KOMO, Bill garnered numerous awards, including an Emmy. The piglet didn’t give up without a noisy sparring match. When a feisty piglet at the Evergreen State Fair tried to upstage Bill, they worked it out, live, on air. “Bru” and co-anchor at Evergreen State Fair. A few months later, Bill took over the 5 p.m. news at the top of the ratings race for 13 years. Later that year, he took to the anchor desk with Ray Ramsey and Bruce King, and the threesome kept KOMO’s 11 p.m. On his first reporting assignment, in 1965, Bru spent five days living on a tugboat, reporting live on the transfer of Namu - the first Orca in captivity - from Canada to Seattle, Namu. Bill worked at KOMO for 25 years.Īt KOMO, Bill began a legendary broadcast career that spanned 25 years. Good thing he kept his job, because by then Bill had married Marlene and had moved to Edmonds, where they eventually raised two daughters, Terianne and Kathryn. Marlene holding Kathryn and big sister Terianne Fisher was very gracious about the actions of this brash young man. That guy was Oliver Fisher, corporate executive with Fisher Broadcasting, which owned KOMO. Bru didn’t recognize a guy who walked into the building and tried to throw the man out. And he almost lost his job on his first day. In 1962, he got the “big break,” joining KOMO radio just in time for the Seattle World’s Fair. When the station switched to a rock ‘n’ roll format, his on-air name became “Bashful Billy” Brubaker. “Bashful Billy” at KXLY, 1962Ī year later, he landed a summer job at KXLY radio in Spokane. My wife Sonja literally “grew up” with Bill her family was among those who invited him into their homes each night.īill was born in Spokane, graduated from WSU when it was still called Washington State College and launched what would become a legendary career in 1959, on the radio in Roseburg, Ore. Bill and Marlene took our family under their wing, told us what a great town Edmonds was, and their daughter Teri was our girls’ favorite babysitter. I met Bill Brubaker – “Bru” – more than 40 years ago, when I joined the KOMO news team. His wife, Marlene, preceded Bill in death just two months earlier. We laughed with him, cried with him, celebrated with him. With his on-air partners, Ray Ramsey (weather) and Bruce King (sports), Bill brought us up to date on what was going on in our world and why it was important. KOMO-TV’s Bill Brubaker was “that guy” - that guy we invited into our homes night after night, day after day, year after year. “It felt like a loss for us because he knows his craft so well, and he’s such an artist and such a great journalist.From left: Bill Brubaker, Ray Ramsey and Bruce King (KOMO-TV archives) “We all know him as one of the best storytellers to have ever graced the halls of KOMO,” said news anchor and reporter Molly Shen, in a statement to the media. “Not only were the cars on fire, the fuel running down the street was on fire,” said Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore.įirefighters stopped the burning fuel from entering the sewer. Secondary explosions continued for several minutes afterward. ![]() Huge flames and thick plumes of black smoke poured from the blazing wreckage, about 50 yards from the base of the Space Needle.įuel gushing from the wreckage caught fire and burned for a block from the crash scene. The helicopter exploded into a fireball on impact. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg says the man suffered burns on up to 20 percent of his body and likely will require surgery. Witnesses said the 38-year-old man could be seen running from from his car with his clothing on fire, and he was extinguished by officers at the scene. Occupants of two vehicles were able to escape without injury, but the driver of a third vehicle was badly burned. Two cars and a pickup truck on Broad Street were struck in the crash. Pilot Gary Pfitzner also died in the crash.Įmergency personnel immediately rushed to the scene at the height of the morning commute. ![]() The helicopter was taking off from the KOMO-TV station when it went down on Broad Street and hit three vehicles, starting them on fire and spewing burning fuel down the street.
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