Kent Shocknek

Born Kent Schoknecht in Berkeley, California, he simplified the on-air spelling of his name upon arrival to Los Angeles television. After working at the Long Beach Press Telegram while attending the University of Southern California, Shocknek's first TV reporting job was in Sioux City, Iowa (KCAU-TV), followed by a three-year stint as anchor and Space Shuttle reporter in Orlando, Florida (WFTV).Kent Shocknek's Web Site: http://kentshocknek.com

In 1983, Shocknek joined KNBC-TV as a reporter and fill-in anchor for what was then known as News4LA. Three years later, he anchored the start-up of L.A.'s first TV morning news program, Today in LA on KNBC-TV.{{Cite web|last=Braxton|first=Greg|date=2001-02-09|title=News Shift Results in Shake-Up at KNBC|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-09-ca-23000-story.html |access-date=2023-02-10|work=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} Over the years, he broadcast —frequently single-handedly— such marathon events as the Los Angeles riots, O.J. Simpson murder trial, and numerous natural disasters.

Shocknek first made national news headlines anchoring the 1986 launch and explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger; and a strong aftershock to the deadly 5.9 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake. The threat of falling studio lights forced Shocknek to take cover under his set's desk for several seconds as he continued reporting about ground- and studio movement.{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=83&v=bwApoSPAHZY|title=Kent Shocknek video bio|via=YouTube|accessdate=July 11, 2019}}{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWAlkZVyTOg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/ZWAlkZVyTOg |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Earthquake captured on LIVE TV – TV Anchor freaks out!|via=YouTube|accessdate=July 11, 2019}}{{cbignore}}

After helming the consistently top-rated KNBC program for 15 years, Shocknek moved to KCBS-TV to anchor morning editions of CBS 2 News in 2001. There, L.A. Confidential magazine named him one of L.A.'s top three anchors. He anchored live the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, and subsequently reported live on the War in Iraq, Michael Jackson's funeral, presidential inaugurations; plus Southern California's seasonal wildfires and frequent high-speed freeway chases. In November 2013, Shocknek and his popular morning coanchor Suzie Suh moved to prime-time spots on Los Angeles CBS TV-owned station KCAL-TV, anchoring #1-rated newscasts, KCAL 9 News at 8 pm and 10 pm. In a move that surprised viewers, he retired from newscasting in late 2014. Shocknek's final newscast —including a 10-minute career retrospective and farewell video featuring L.A. newsmakers and Hollywood celebrities— aired September 26, 2014.{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwApoSPAHZY|title=Kent Shocknek video bio|via=YouTube|accessdate=July 11, 2019}}{{cite news|url=http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/09/26/longtime-anchor-kent-shocknek-signs-off-from-local-news/|title=Longtime Anchor Kent Shocknek Signs Off From Local News|publisher=KCAL/KCBS|date=September 26, 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-shocknek-20141001-column.html|title=No more Mr. News Guy – L.A. anchor Kent Shocknek signs off|last=Morrison|first=Patt|authorlink=Patt Morrison|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 30, 2014}} Various local governments and agencies, including the City and County of Los Angeles, as well as the State of California, have honored him for his work.

File:KShocknek2.jpg

Shocknek has continued his presence in front of the camera, portraying newscasters and various authority figures in more than 100 major Hollywood film & TV productions and independent films. He has worked with directors Steven Spielberg, Adam McKay in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Barry Levinson, and Justin Lin, among others. On television, Shocknek has marked more than a dozen appearances as newsman "Guy Ross" in the crime procedural drama NCIS and its spin-off series, NCIS: Los Angeles. He also has held recurring roles in Criminal Minds, and the Amazon series, Bosch.

Shocknek's voice is almost as well known as his image; he began writing and delivering the 60-second daily radio commentary Just A Minute with Kent Shocknek on CBS all-news radio station KNX-1070 AM in Los Angeles, in 2003. Later, he launched Premiere Magazine Live!, a weekly national radio show about movies, in approximately 50 markets countrywide, with his wife Karen, using the on-air surname Walters, working as co-host.

• 8 regional Emmy Awards (individual and group)
• 2 L.A. Press Club Awards
• Golden Mic. Award (Best Daytime Newscast)
• Wm. Randolph Hearst Award (investigative reporting)

B.A., University of Southern California, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|794688|Kent Shocknek}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075137/https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/personality/kent-shocknek/ CBSLA.com website Shocknek bio]
• [http://kentshocknek.com Kent Shocknek website]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shocknek, Kent}}

Category:Living people

Category:Television anchors from Los Angeles

Category:University of Southern California alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Mass media people from Berkeley, California

Category:American male journalists

Category:20th-century American journalists

Category:21st-century American journalists