KCBS/KCAL’s Sylvia Lopez to leave anchor desk for public health career

Veteran KCBS/KCAL television anchor Sylvia Lopez is trading in the news desk to pursue a graduate degree and a new career in public health.

Lopez, who currently anchors KCAL’s weekday 4 and 9 p.m. newscasts, has announced that she would leave the stations after 30 years in Los Angeles TV news. She will anchor her final newscasts on April 24.

“I’ve been amazingly fortunate to cover the news for more than three decades and to do it for 28 years at KCAL and KCBS, among people who are like my family,” Lopez said in a statement. “It’s been a privilege to report on so many stories that have impacted people right here in Southern California where I grew up.”

Lopez has been admitted to the master of public health program at Cal State Northridge and will enroll as a full-time graduate student this fall.

Said Lopez: “I’ve always had a passion for health issues, probably because I grew up helping my dad in his dental practice. Now, after three decades of shedding light on them as a journalist, I’m excited to take the next step by trying to address these issues in a hands-on role, especially those that affect children and families.”

“Sylvia Lopez is a Southern California TV news treasure,” Steve Mauldin, president and general manager of KCBS and KCAL, said in a statement. “Her professionalism and heart have set a shining example for what a newscaster should be.”

Twitter: @GeBraxton