CITY OF FRESNO
Office of Mayor Jerry P. Dyer
_________________________________ ________________________________ JERRY P. DYER, Honorable Mayor MIKE KARBASSI, Council President
_________________________________ ________________________________ MIGUEL ARIAS, Council Vice President ANNALISA PEREA, Councilmember District 1
_________________________________ ________________________________ TYLER MAXWELL, Councilmember District 4 BRANDON VANG, Councilmember District 5
_________________________________ ________________________________ NICK RICHARDSON, Councilmember District 6 NELSON ESPARZA, Councilmember District 7
WH EREAS, on his retirement, we mark the distinguished journalism career of Rich Rodriguez, who made a long and storied journey that took him to the Midwest and back, from radio to television, and will now turn to golf at Fort Washington Country Club, attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, and being a better handyman at home; and
WH EREAS, taking advice from his elementary school principal that he consider a broadcasting career, Rich headed off after high school to Oklahoma State University because it was one of only two schools in the nation with a student -run commercial radio station. The Exeter native had never been to the Midwest, but after college ended up with his first radio job in Lawrence, Kansas. Back home during a short vacation, h e dropped off a reel-to-reel tape at KMJ. Two weeks later, he had a job offer and – tired of being cold in the Midwest – returned to California ; and
WH EREAS, after three years at KMJ, Rich recognized there was better money to be made in television, so he left radio and moved to Channel 30, now known as ABC30. He started out reporting, but within a month was anchoring weekend sports broadcasts. The transition was a challenge because he’d never taken a television broadcast class in college; and
WH EREAS, lured by Los Angeles, he left Fresno in 1986 to join KABC as a field reporter, but he detested the traffic and missed the Valley. He returned to Channel 30 in 1989, and for the next 11 years anchored the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, becoming one of Fresno’s best -known personalities . That led to a congressional run in 2000; and
WH EREAS, returning to television in 2001, Rich anchored the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts at KSEE (Channel 24) before moving to Fox 26 in 2009, where he was a reporter and weekend anchor for 16 years; and
WH EREAS, as he ends his 49 -year journalism career, Rich will stay local, spending time with his six children, six grandchildren and Margaret, his wife of 35 years.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, Mayor Jerry Dyer and Members of the Fresno City Council, do hereby proclaim Thursday, June 12, 2025, to be:
“Rich Rodriguez Day”
In the City of Fresno.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and
affixed the seal of the City of Fresno, California, this 12th day of June 2025.
Honoring Rich Rodriguez on His Retirement