Veteran KCBC Sports And Traffic Reporter John Atkinson Steps Down

SAN FRANCISCO, CA —A veteran sports and traffic reporter is stepping down.

John Atkinson’s resignation from KCBS (710 AM) was first reported by Bay Area media blogger Rich Lieberman and has been confirmed by Patch.

His last day will be Wednesday, Patch has learned.

Atkinson grew up on the Peninsula and launched his broadcasting reporting traffic in Santa Cruz in the 1980s, according to his KCBS bio.

He was the first reporter to fly over the Bay Bridge after it partially collapsed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Atkinson has worked as a minor league baseball broadcaster and served as a public address announcer for San Jose State and UC Berkeley, among other collegiate programs.

Atkinson’s departure comes amid a turbulent period in the industry.

Audacy purchased CBS for $4 billion in a 2017 deal that has not gone well. KCBS' parent company has lost $1 billion since 2018, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

And according to Lieberman’s reporting, dissatisfaction at 855 Battery Street is widespread.

"Am told the general feeling among staff @KCBS is that many are 'fed up' with ongoing management and that everyone wants out,” Lieberman tweeted.

Last month, rival KGO (810 AM), a fixture in Bay Area homes for 80 years, abruptly announced plans to abandon its news-talk programming.