Kent Ninomiya
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Kent Ninomiya was the first Asian American man to be primary news anchor for an American television station. The Asian American Journalist Association or AAJA notes that there are a great number of Asian American women on the air in the United States but very few Asian American men. This is especially true when it comes to anchoring positions. The reasons for this disparity are unclear and a matter of debate. Kent Ninomiya was the first Asian American man to make it to the top job. He is a nationally known television news anchor, reporter and writer. Since the 1980's he appeared on the air for television stations across the United States.
Ninomiya was named primary news anchor for KSTP in Minneapolis-St Paul in 2003. His co-anchor was Harris Faulkner, an African American female. The all minority main anchor team in a predominently white television market was heralded as a bold step forward by journalist organizations across the country. He also served as managing editor and main anchor for WICD in Champaign in 2005 and 2006.
Kent Ninomiya was born in San Francisco and raised in San Diego. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1988. He earned a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in History, Political Science and Mass Communications.
Ninomiya's career began behind the scenes working and interning for KTVU in Oakland in 1987, KGO in San Francisco in 1988, and the Washington D.C. bureau of CNN in 1988. His first appearance on the air was at WGGB, the ABC television station in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1989. Ninomiya worked there as an assignment editor/reporter. He then moved on to anchor the morning news and report for KIEM, the NBC television station in Eureka, California in 1989 and 1990. Kent Ninomiya worked as a news reporter and fill-in anchor for KJEO the CBS television station in Fresno in 1990, KFSN the ABC owned and operated television station in Fresno in 1990, and KGTV the ABC television station in San Diego from 1991 to 1993. At the age of 26, Kent Ninomiya was hired by WLS the ABC owned and operated television station in Chicago. He was one of the youngest reporters ever hired in that news market. He reported there for five years from 1993 to 1998.
Kent Ninomiya was then promoted to full time anchoring assignments. He was the weekday 5am - 7am morning news anchor for KGO, the ABC owned and operated television station in San Francisco in 1999 and 2000. While there he worked with several prominent co-anchors including Beth Spicuza, Carolyn Johnson and Elizabeth Bermudez. Ninomiya also anchored weekend evenings for KCOP in Los Angeles from 2001 to 2003. His co-anchors in LA included Gina Silva, Jennifer Gould, Maria Quiban and Lauren Sanchez. While working at KCOP the station became part of a duopoly with LA's FOX station KTTV. Ninomiya filed live news reports for both stations.
Ninomiya is also a prolific writer who pens articles on a wide range of subjects.
References
- Kent Ninomiya American Journalism Review
- Kent Ninomiya AAJA
- Kent Ninomiya Asian Week article
- Kent Ninomiya University of Maryland report
- Kent Ninomiya background
- Kent Ninomiya Asian Pages article
- Kent Ninomiya Broadcast pioneers article
External links
- Television journalists
- Living people
- American television reporters and correspondents
- American television journalists
- Television pioneers
- American television personalities
- Asian Americans
- Japanese Americans
- People from San Francisco
- People from the San Francisco Bay Area
- People from San Diego
- University of California, Berkeley alumni
- California media people
- California television personalities
- San Francisco television anchors
- Los Angeles television anchors
- American broadcast news analysts
- American reporters and correspondents
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- American television news anchors