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Fred Roggin
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Fred Roggin
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Frederick Jay Roggin (born May 6, 1957) is an American sports anchor currently with Los Angeles sports radio station KLAC. He is best known for his career at KNBC-TV. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Roggin was also a sports talk radio host at KMPC in Los Angeles and is currently co-hosting, alongside Rodney Peete, an afternoon sports show on KLAC. Roggin's other co-hosts on KLAC had included Los Angeles Times sports columnist T. J. Simers and Simers' daughter Tracy. Roggin served as a host for NBC Sports coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics.[1]

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Roggin also has a national profile, doing occasional work for NBC Sports. He with triathletes Julie Moss and Mike Plant had the call for the tape delayed 1990 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Also, he has become a regular during its coverage of the Olympics. At the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, he hosted the daily coverage of curling, and at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he was the anchor for boxing coverage from the venue, which aired on CNBC and Universal HD. He was also a play by play announcer on several National Football League telecasts before the network stopped coverage after Super Bowl XXXII in January 1998.

Roggin joined KNBC in December 1980, coming from KPNX in Phoenix, Arizona.[2] Prior to Phoenix, he was the sports anchor on KYEL-TV (now KYMA-DT), in Yuma, Arizona-El Centro, California (1977 to 1978), and for a brief period in 1978 with KVUE in Austin, Texas. He had lived in Calabasas, California,[citation needed] with his wife Richel, a writer, along with their three children.

Roggin hosts a new sports-themed game show, The Challenge, which airs after NBC's Sunday Night Football telecasts locally on KNBC. For several years in the early 1990s, he hosted Roggin's Heroes, a collection of unusual sports highlights presented as a syndicated 30-minute show. Such clips still air as part of his new Sunday night program on KNBC.

Roggin had also done taped sports scores and highlight recaps for NBC's early morning newscasts, which aired on NBC's Early Today and MSNBC's First Look, along with a separate segment for Morning Joe. Previously segments aired on CNBC's former early morning show Wake Up Call.

He also co-hosted the interactive TV show GSN Live on GSN weekdays from 3 PM to 6 PM ET with Debra Skelton until he left the show on July 2, 2009 (and on occasion filled in for Alfonso Ribeiro from 12-3 PM ET). The show started on February 25, 2008. Roggin also started another one of his dreams in 2009, by presenting a game show called The Money List, which was recorded in the UK at The London Studios. The show was based on the United Kingdom's version of Who Dares Wins!. From 2009 - 2013, Roggin hosted the NBC show "The Filter with Fred Roggin" which also starred Melissa Rivers, Charlotte Laws, Debra Wilson, Leo Terrell and Amy Alkon.[3] Roggin and the others discussed the news topics of the day.

On April 14, 2013, NBC's "Going Roggin" debuted at midnight. Airing most Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at midnight, the 30-minute show offers Roggin's perspective on hot topics in the world of L.A. sports. The crossfire format includes 2 weekly rotated co-contributors on each show. The show also highlights local sports legends as well as interview pro athletes. Most notable contributors include Petros Papadakis (AM 570), Tim Cates (AM 570), Jeff Garcia (The Sports Dude - Power 106), Mark Willard (Fox Sports Radio), J. Woodfin (J from Compton - ESPN), Brian Webber (NBC Sports).

On September 22, 2014, The Fred Roggin Show launched on KFWB in Los Angeles, branded as The Beast 980. The sports radio talk show was heard weekdays from 3pm-6pm on AM 980 in Southern California, as well as KFWB's website (thebeast980.com) and The Beast 980 phone app for Android and iPhone. His show was on the air up until KFWB's sports talk format was discontinued on March 1, 2016.

In August 2016, Roggin became the new co-host of KLAC's noon-to-3 pm show with Leeann Tweeden, replacing Bill Reiter, who exited KLAC to join the CBS Sports Radio network.[4]

In 1993 he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[5] In 2022 he was featured in the Emmy award-winning docu-series I Was There When... on NBC's Peacock.

Roggin departed from KNBC on January 26, 2023.[6] He continues to work in radio along with former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Rodney Peete on KLAC's afternoon sports show Roggin and Rodney.[7] On December 4, 2023, Roggin announced that he would return to television on KMIR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Palm Springs. He anchors The Roggin Report, which is a new 6:30 p.m. program focusing on the news topic of the day featuring reaction and discussion in a fresh new format. The Roggin Report debuted on January 2, 2024, on KMIR-TV. The show is also shown on NBC Palm Springs' Facebook page as part of their livestream of the 6 pm newscast.[8][9]

Roggin continues to do the Roggin and Rodney radio program from his home in Palm Springs.

References

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Fred Roggin

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Fred Roggin is an American sports broadcaster best known for his 42-year tenure as the primary sports anchor at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, where he created and hosted acclaimed segments like Roggin's Heroes and covered multiple Olympic Games for NBC. Born on May 6, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan, Roggin moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at age 10 following the 1967 riots and later attended Phoenix College before launching his career. At just 19, he began broadcasting in 1976 as a sports anchor, reporter, and play-by-play announcer at KIKO Radio in Globe, Arizona, followed by stints at KBLU Radio and KYEL-TV in Yuma (1977), KVUE-TV in Austin, Texas (1978), and KPNX-TV in Phoenix (1978–1980). Roggin joined in 1980 at age 23 as weekend sports anchor and weekday reporter, quickly rising to primary sports anchor by 1986 after replacing . His innovative programming included launching Sunday Night Sports in 1985, the humorous Hall of Shame segment, and Roggin's Heroes in 1990, which spotlighted outstanding high school athletes and was nationally syndicated. He also hosted Going Roggin and co-hosted The Challenge on , while contributing to NBC's Olympic coverage since 1984. Throughout his career, Roggin has amassed 35 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, 30 Golden Mike Awards, and five Associated Press Awards as of 2023, and was named California Sportscaster of the Year in 1990. He received Lifetime Achievement honors from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California in 2020 and the Los Angeles Press Club in 2013, and was ranked among the top 25 iconic Los Angeles sportscasters by The Athletic. Beyond local news, he appeared on The Tonight Show in 1993, produced the 1994 special Top Secret Television, co-hosted the 1997 talk show The Arthel & Fred Show, and hosted Game Show Network programs including GSN Live and The Money List. In January 2023, after 42 years at , Roggin stepped away from daily duties there. In January 2024, he launched The Roggin Report on Palm Springs while continuing to co-host the afternoon radio show Roggin & Rodney on KLAC-AM 570 in . Roggin's enduring legacy lies in his energetic style, community-focused storytelling, and ability to blend humor with hard-hitting over nearly five decades.

Early life

Birth and upbringing

Frederick Jay Roggin was born on May 6, 1957, in , . He spent his early childhood in , where his father, Hy Roggin, owned and operated a local . The family lived in the city until Roggin was 10 years old, during which time he experienced the urban environment of mid-20th-century . In 1967, the Detroit riots devastated the city, including the destruction of his father's pharmacy by fire, which prompted the family to relocate. Seeking a warmer climate to alleviate his mother Irene's arthritis, the Roggins moved to , that same year. This pivotal event marked the end of Roggin's time in and the beginning of his life in the Southwest. Roggin was raised in Phoenix, where the suburban setting and regional sports culture helped nurture his lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. His early interest in sports and broadcasting emerged during this period, laying the groundwork for his future career pursuits. In Phoenix, he transitioned into formal education, attending local schools before pursuing studies in broadcasting.

Education

Roggin, raised in , following his family's relocation from , attended the local during his freshman year, where he studied . In the mid-1970s, after completing only six months of , Roggin dropped out to accept a radio position, launching his professional career at the age of 19.

Broadcasting career

Early roles

Roggin began his broadcasting career in 1976 at the age of 19, securing his first professional role at KIKO Radio in , where he served as a play-by-play , reporter, and sports . This entry-level position in a small market allowed him to gain hands-on experience in multiple facets of . In 1977, Roggin moved to Yuma, Arizona, working at KBLU Radio and transitioning to television as a sports anchor at KYEL-TV on the Arizona-California border. This move marked his initial foray into on-air television work, building on his radio foundation in a border-region station serving both states. By 1978, he advanced to in , taking on duties as a sports reporter and anchor for approximately eight months. Following this stint, Roggin had a brief role at in , before relocating to in 1980. These early positions in progressively larger markets honed his skills as a sports broadcaster in both radio and television formats.

KNBC tenure

Fred Roggin joined , the affiliate in , in December 1980 as a weekend sports anchor, recruited from in Phoenix to launch the station's expanded "Sunday Night Sports" program. This marked the beginning of his 42-year tenure at the station, during which he transitioned to daily sports anchoring and became a fixture in broadcasting. Over the decades, Roggin developed a distinctive on-air style characterized by high energy, humor, and , often blending levity with substantive reporting to engage viewers beyond mere scores and highlights. His segments, such as "Roggin’s Heroes" spotlighting high school athletes and "Hall of Shame" featuring blooper reels, emphasized entertainment and local stories, earning him the nickname "The Dean" and branding his broadcasts as "The Dean’s Office." Roggin's , "If it sweats, Fred’ll show it to you," captured his enthusiastic approach to covering a wide array of sports, from professional leagues to quirky events like a waterskiing . Roggin's coverage centered on Los Angeles' major sports franchises, including the Lakers' championship eras with stars like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James; the Dodgers' iconic moments such as Fernando Valenzuela's rookie sensation in 1981 and Clayton Kershaw's dominance; and the Rams' highs and lows, from their 1980s playoff runs to their return to the city in 2016. He reported on key events like the Rams' preparations for cold-weather games in the 1980s and fan celebrations upon their relocation back to Los Angeles, providing on-the-ground insights that connected with regional audiences. In January 2023, Roggin announced his departure from after more than 42 years, citing a desire to pursue creative projects like television production while continuing his radio work. His final broadcast aired on January 26, 2023, a four-minute segment where he expressed gratitude to colleagues and viewers, signing off with "I’ll you later" to conclude his long run at the station.

Later television and radio work

Following his departure from in January 2023 after a 42-year tenure that established him as a prominent figure in Los Angeles sports , Fred Roggin continued his radio with a focus on local sports analysis. Earlier in his radio endeavors, Roggin hosted The Fred Roggin Show as a sports anchor on KFWB (The Beast 980) in from September 2014 to March 2016, airing weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and featuring discussions on regional teams and events. Since 2023, Roggin has co-hosted the afternoon program Roggin and Rodney on (AM 570 LA Sports) with former quarterback , airing weekdays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and covering Los Angeles teams such as the Dodgers, Lakers, , and Chargers through interviews, commentary, and fan engagement. In January 2024, Roggin returned to television as host of The Roggin Report on KMIR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Palm Springs, California, debuting on January 2 with a 6:30 p.m. weekday slot that blends local and regional sports coverage, news discussions, and community features in a conversational format. This phase of Roggin's career was influenced by his relocation to Palm Springs, allowing him to balance remote contributions to his KLAC radio show while anchoring locally on KMIR-TV.

Other media work

Olympic coverage

Fred Roggin has served as a network host and reporter for NBC's coverage of every Summer Olympics since 1984, contributing to broadcasts from Los Angeles (1984) through Rio de Janeiro (2016). His roles evolved from reporting on events like the 2000 Sydney Summer Games to hosting duties for subsequent Olympics, including the 2004 Athens, 2006 Turin Winter, 2008 Beijing Summer, 2010 Vancouver Winter, 2012 London Summer, 2014 Sochi Winter, and 2016 Rio Summer Games, as well as curling coverage for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. In particular, Roggin hosted NBC Sports coverage for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, providing on-air analysis and event narration. As a studio host, Roggin's responsibilities encompassed anchoring segments on competition highlights, particularly focusing on U.S. team performances across various sports. He also conducted interviews with athletes and provided commentary during live broadcasts, drawing on his expertise to contextualize key moments for viewers. For Winter Olympics, he specialized in hosting coverage on and MSNBC, offering play-by-play and strategic insights into the sport's nuances. Roggin's Olympic assignments integrated seamlessly with his ongoing KNBC tenure, where his local sports anchoring experience in facilitated his selection for national roles and allowed him to report on Southern California athletes' preparations and achievements during Olympic periods. This dual involvement elevated his profile, establishing him as a key figure in NBC's Olympic programming and earning him the nickname "Mr. Olympian" for his consistent presence across 14 Games.

Game show hosting

In addition to his sports broadcasting roles, Fred Roggin expanded into hosting, leveraging his on-air charisma to engage audiences in competitive formats. One of his notable ventures was The Challenge, a live -themed game show he created and hosted on in , which premiered in 2006 and which he hosted weekly following NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcasts until 2023; the program continues to air in that timeslot. The program features viewer call-ins, trivia contests centered on sports topics, and interactive challenges with prizes, blending Roggin's expertise in athletics with entertainment elements to highlight community heroes and fan participation. By its 17th season in 2022, The Challenge had become a staple of local NBC programming, running for approximately 30 minutes per episode and emphasizing fun, accessible sports knowledge over professional analysis. Roggin further diversified his television presence in the late 2000s by hosting on the Game Show Network (GSN), marking a shift toward non-sports . He co-hosted GSN Live, an interactive afternoon block from September 2008 to July 2009, where he and co-hosts like facilitated live games, viewer interactions, and discussions of classic game shows, airing weekdays for up to six hours. This role showcased Roggin's versatility beyond sports, as he engaged in casual, trivia-driven segments that contrasted his typically high-energy anchor style with a more conversational, audience-focused approach. In 2009, Roggin took on the role of host for The Money List, a short-lived GSN series that aired from June 13 to August 15, adapting the British format into an American competition. Pairs of contestants collaborated to name as many items as possible from themed lists—such as "Time Magazine's Persons of the Year"—to climb a escalating prize ladder, with potential winnings up to $100,000 based on their collective knowledge and risk-taking decisions. Produced by 12 Yard Productions, the show emphasized teamwork and quick thinking in categories ranging from pop culture to history, running for 9 episodes and highlighting Roggin's ability to guide high-stakes gameplay with humor and poise. These GSN projects represented Roggin's brief but impactful forays into pure entertainment television, distinct from his sports-rooted career by prioritizing general and cash incentives over athletic themes.

Personal life

Family

Roggin was first married to Eileen Roggin, an independent and former casting director, with whom he had twin children, Shannon and Jeffrey; the marriage ended in . He later married Richel Roggin, a writer, in 1993, and the couple has three children together—Haylee, Jack, and Josh—bringing Roggin's total to five children. Roggin has publicly emphasized fatherhood as a core value, stating in 2016 that balancing his career with life is paramount and that "every day is Father’s Day when I get to see them," while crediting his wife for supporting their dynamics.

Residences

Fred Roggin was born in , , where he spent his early childhood until the age of 10. In 1967, following the destruction of his father's during the Detroit riots, Roggin's relocated to , where he grew up and attended Phoenix College to study . In December 1980, Roggin moved to to join , marking the start of his long-term residence in . For decades thereafter, he lived in Calabasas, including a longtime home in the gated Oaks community, which he sold in 2018 after more than two decades of ownership. This suburban enclave in the provided a stable base aligned with his family life during his tenure. Around 2023–2024, following his departure from after 42 years, Roggin relocated to , where he now resides with his wife. This move coincided with his transition to a new broadcasting role at Palm Springs affiliate KMIR, reflecting a shift toward the region.

Awards and recognition

Hall of Fame

In 1993, Fred Roggin was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in the Media category, recognizing his significant contributions to sports in . This honor highlighted his role as the lead sports anchor at since 1980, where he delivered nightly sports segments and hosted programs like Sunday Night Sports. The induction ceremony took place as part of the hall's annual awards event, celebrating Roggin alongside other notable figures in Jewish sports history for their impact on the community and the region. His selection underscored a career marked by innovative features such as Roggin's Heroes and The Hall of Shame, which engaged audiences with memorable storytelling in local sports media. Roggin maintains an ongoing association with the hall through a permanent exhibit dedicated to his achievements, located at the Milken Community School's East Campus in , where visitors can explore his broadcasting legacy. This display ensures his contributions continue to inspire future generations in . In 2019, Roggin was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, honoring his four decades of influential sports broadcasting in .

Other honors

Throughout his career, Roggin has received over 35 Area Emmy Awards, more than 30 Golden Mike Awards, five Awards, and numerous Press Club Awards for his sports reporting and segments. In 1990, he was named Sportscaster of the Year by the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters. He received the Joseph M. Quinn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press Club in 2013 and a Lifetime Achievement honor from the Radio and Television News Association of in 2020. In 2020, ranked him among the top 25 most iconic sportscasters in history. In 2024, he was awarded the Media Award by the Valley Economic Alliance at its 26th Annual Valley of the Stars Gala. Roggin was featured in the 2022 NBCUniversal docu-series I Was There When..., an eight-part production on Peacock that provided first-hand accounts from journalists on major news events, including his personal anecdotes from covering significant sports moments such as the death of . The series earned a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award in 2023 in the Informational Series category. Upon his retirement from in January 2023 after 42 years of service, Roggin was widely recognized for his enduring impact on sports media, with tributes highlighting his longevity and influence in the industry.

References

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  2. https://www.nexttv.com/news/fred-roggin-steps-away-after-42-years-as-knbc-tv-sports-anchor
  3. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-18-sp-19842-story.html
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  8. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0737315/bio/
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  43. https://thevalley.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-6-24_Fred-Roggin-To-Receive-Award-at-26th-Annual-Valley-of-the-Stars-Gala.pdf
  44. https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/nbc4-expands-original-streaming-content
  45. https://variety.com/2023/tv/awards/emmys-los-angeles-2023-winners-kvea-kcet-1235677682/
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