Rick Laubscher: Forty Years of Giving Back to San Francisco, from KRON to Market Street Railway

Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Rick Laubscher Rick Laubscher: Forty Years of Giving Back to San Francisco, From KRON to Market Street Railway Interviews conducted by Todd Holmes in 2016 Copyright © 2017 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Oral History Center of the Bancroft Library, formerly the Regional Oral History Office, has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Rick Laubscher dated March 30, 2017 The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Excerpts up to 1000 words from this interview may be quoted for publication without seeking permission as long as the use is non-commercial and properly cited. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to The Bancroft Library, Head of Public Services, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should follow instructions available online at http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/collections/cite.html It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Rick Laubscher, “Rick Laubscher: Forty Years of Giving Back to San Francisco, From KRON to Market Street Railway” conducted by Todd Holmes in 2016, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2017. Rick Laubscher iv Rick Laubscher is an award-winning journalist, public relations executive, and founder of Market Street Railway in San Francisco. A fourth generation San Franciscan, Rick’s long career in journalism, business, and civic activism has centered on his beloved city. In this oral history, he discusses the Laubscher family business and his childhood in San Francisco; his years as a television reporter in the city; his public relations career at the Bechtel Corporation; and the many civic activities he undertook, principally the founding of Market Street Railway. v Table of Contents—Rick Laubscher Introduction by Todd Holmes xi Interview 1: June 21, 2016 Audio File 1 1 Family background and San Francisco roots — The family business, a delicatessen — Working in the store at age twelve — Adoption, and early years in Millbrae, and then Lafayette — Laubscher family history — Laubschers’: “The West’s Leading Delicatessen” — Customers and cable cars — More family moves to San Mateo and then the Sunset District and an Eichler home in Terra Linda — The development of the suburbs, and changes in Laubschers’ clientele — Missed business opportunities — Unionized grocery workers — Commuting to work — A dwindling business, and closure in 1972 — The wonder of Market Street, San Francisco — Notable Laubschers’ customers: Alfred Hitchcock, Amelia Gallo — “The girls”: long-time Laubschers’ employees Alice Roy, Ann Anderson, and Aunt Dorothea — The benefits of life in the California suburbs and the city of San Francisco, and on the campus of UC Santa Cruz — More about San Francisco roots — Baseball; and father’s interest in ham radio — Fascination with the San Francisco Giants — Friend Tom Nelson — Early obsession with San Francisco cable cars and transit in general — A transit map on his college dormitory wall — The development of freeways and new lifestyles in the Bay Area — Deciding to attend UC Santa Cruz — Stanford alumni and Christian Scientists in the family — And attitudes toward science and doctors — Family tensions about healthcare — College applications — Remembering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — And Laubscher’s early interest in journalism — College at the new UCSC campus — The founding of the college radio station, KRUZ — Importance of college friend Clint Taylor’s support — Laubscher’s first interview ever, with Governor Ronald Reagan — Early interest in broadcast journalism — Social activism, or the lack of it, at UCSC — Changes in media coverage, culture, and technology from World War II to the present — Journalistic stance vs. political advocacy — Acknowledgement of racial differences and inequities in American life —And changing attitudes toward difference Interview 2: July 14, 2016 Audio File 2 30 Graduation with honors from UCSC in 1970 — Enrollment in the Columbia University School of Journalism in 1971 — Memories of a family road trip in 1960 from California to the East Coast — And another trip by plane in 1964 — A job at KSFO radio in 1970, right out of college — Learning the medium of radio — Don Sherwood, “the unquestioned king of the radio waves in San Francisco” — And other disc jockeys — KSFO’s domination of the market — Herb Caen, vi Willie McCovey — Developing a “fair and balanced” professional stance at the radio station — Columbia University School of Journalism professors: Fred Friendly, Norman Isaacs, John Patterson — The advantages of training on the job in San Francisco — Importance of understanding statistics — Media coverage of political polling — Two schools of journalism then: data-driven and story-driven — Journalistic role models: David Brinkley, Edward R. Murrow, Charles Kuralt — The New Journalism — Writing for the ear versus writing for the eye — With fellow student Richard Roth, choosing the broadcast emphasis at Columbia, and studying with Norman Isaacs — Covering the strike at Columbia, graduating first in class, and winning the Pulitzer Fellowship — Traveling around the world, and reporting on it — Learning about the way people around the world view America — Mentor Jeff Skov, and a White House press pass — Witnessing President Richard Nixon’s resignation and Gerald Ford’s swearing-in — Conversations about America during the Vietnam era — Encounters in Iran and New Delhi, Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific — The end of the Fellowship, and a job offer from Ron Mires at the San Diego NBC affiliate — Passing up a job offer in New York — Television and radio — Editing for television, and pioneering live field recording — Covering President Jimmy Carter’s visit to California — Ron Burgundy in the Anchorman movies, based on real-life anchorman Harold Greene — Covering Emperor Hirohito’s visit to Scripps College — Anchoring the bicentennial show — Winning two Golden Mic awards in San Diego — Developing skills as a political reporter in San Diego — Mayor Pete Wilson (later, Governor Pete Wilson) — Racial inequities and civil rights violations in San Diego — Transportation issues in San Diego — Southern California culture — The role of the U. S. Navy and base in San Diego politics — Environmental activism and the California Coastal Commission — Topography of Northern and Southern California — Returning to San Francisco to work at KRON — Relationship with, and later marriage to, Judith Woodard — Working for Mitch Farris at KRON, after moving to San Francisco with Woodward — Journalist Melba Beals — Anchorman John Hambrick, “the quintessential Texas,” comes to work at KRON — New staff at KRON, and the “To Hell With Happy Talk” campaign; and competition with Channel 7 — Memories of two innovative five-part series about San Diego and the new Mexican highway in Baja California, and about restaurants — Soft features versus hard news — Covering politics and transportation (including Muni and the decline of the Port) in San Francisco — The changing demographics of San Francisco in the 1960s and ’70s Interview 3: August 9, 2016 Audio File 3 63 Another interview with Ronald Reagan — A lesson in politics, 1976 — More about Laubscher’s return to the changing city of San Francisco — Mayor George Moscone, Mayor Willie Brown, changing attitudes toward race and progressive politics in the city — Jim Jones and the People’s Temple — Cecil Williams and Glide Memorial Church — Changes in election practices, re: district supervisors — KRON and the Chronicle — Other players in the SF broadcast market — vii Senator John Briggs, Proposition 6, Randy Shilts, gay rights in San Francisco — More about the newsroom shakeup and personnel at KRON — The rise of live TV news reporting — Unionization of news writers — More about “To Hell With Happy Talk” — More about Mitch Farris (and his machete) — Gender discrimination and harassment — KRON bureaus — Purchasing a home in Noe Valley — More about bureaus and news coverage — BART and changes in suburban-urban dynamic — More about district elections in San Francisco, increased diversity in political

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