Harold "Hal" Fishman (August 25, 1931 – August 7, 2007) was a local news anchor in the Los Angeles area, serving on-air with Los Angeles-area television stations continuously between 1960 until his death in 2007. Fishman was the longest-running news anchor in the history of American television. He was also a record-holding aviator. "The Simpsons" cartoon television anchorman Kent Brockman was partially inspired by Hal Fishman.
He anchored KTLA-TV's 10:00 p.m. newscast starting in 1975. He had joined the station in 1965, and reported on Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968 and the 1994 Northridge earthquake. A licensed pilot, he sometimes covered news stories from his own plane.
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Master's degree in political science from UCLA.
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The Simpsons (1989) character Kent Brockman is said to be based on Fishman and fellow L.A. news legend Jerry Dunphy.
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He set 11 world records for speed and altitude flying.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Spider-Man 3
2007
Anchorman
Jimmy Hollywood
1994
Anchorperson
Wisdom
1987
Network Anchorman
Maximum Overdrive
1986
Anchorman Voice (voice, uncredited)
When Hell Was in Session
1979
TV Movie
1st Newscaster
Editorial Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
KTLA 5 News at 10
1965
TV Series managing editor
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
One Six Right
2005
Documentary
Himself
Malibu's Most Wanted
2003
Himself
National Security
2003
Himself
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
2001
Himself
Joe Dirt
2001
Himself
KTLA 5 News at 10
1997
TV Series
Anchor
KTLA at 40: A Celebration of Los Angeles Television
$9 Million
