Longtime Bay Area TV news reporter retires after more than 3 decades |
Leslie Brinkley announced her retirement on Nov. 18, 2025, after working for more than three decades at KGO-TV.
Leslie Brinkley, a longtime reporter on KGO-TV, just retired, marking the end of a 36-year career at the station.
Brinkley made her final appearance on the Bay Area’s ABC affiliate on the “Midday Live” show on Tuesday, where she explained that she was leaving her role to take care of her new baby granddaughter.
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“I’m looking forward to that new chapter,” Brinkley said. “So I’ll be watching the news occasionally, but I think I’m gonna be immersed in baby world.”
Brinkley joined the station in 1989, just before the Loma Prieta earthquake rattled Northern California. At the time, Brinkley reported live from the Bay Bridge and witnessed the collapse of its upper deck.
So began a wide-ranging career at the station. Two years later, Brinkley reported on the ground from the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. Her reporting touched on the full breadth of life in the Bay Area, spanning human interest, natural disaster and crime. Her reporting on the Golden State Killer won her a local Emmy in 2019.
“It’s been quite a ride here,” Brinkley said. “And the memories of this Bay Area and all the people I’ve met — absolutely phenomenal.”
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Brinkley’s departure makes her the third KGO-TV reporter or anchor to leave the station in recent months. In September, anchors Reggie Aqui and Julian Glover both announced their departures from the station after careers spanning 10 and six years, respectively.
Glover, a race and culture reporter, announced his departure after six years at the station. While Glover didn’t reveal his next career steps, he mentioned he would return home to Washington, D.C. Aqui left the station after 10 years and gave an emotional farewell on his final day but hasn’t disclosed any new career plans.
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