Press Vows Return to Broadcasting After Loss

Former KABC-TV commentator and KABC-AM radio talk-show host Bill Press says he will wait until the end of July at the earliest before returning to broadcasting.

“My first priority is to spend some time with my family, pay some bills, then go back to earning a living,” said Press, defeated in his bid for the Democratic nomination for insurance commissioner in Tuesday’s primary election. “I don’t know where or how. I was not born for the corporate world or consulting work. I was born to talk about issues and hope to do that again in some form.”

Press, who finished second to State Sen. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), said that his campaign owes between $50,000 and $100,000.

Although Press declined to say he would specifically be returning to KABC-TV and KABC radio, there is precedent. Fellow commentator Bruce Herschensohn returned to both stations after his failed 1986 campaign for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. Press had left both stations in 1987 to seek the 1988 Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator, withdrew before the primary and rejoined both in 1988.

The bid for insurance commissioner was the first time that Press’ name had appeared on a ballot.

“The one great shock was (that) not until I ran did I realize how dependent in today’s politics candidates are on raising money,” Press said. “I just deplore the fact that we have to spend so much time raising money. The system is sick. I come away from this experience more dedicated than ever to cleaning up this political system and getting some serious limits on campaign spending and campaign expenditures.”

He believes his experiences as a candidate will be helpful when he resumes his broadcasting career.

“All of us in journalism tend to get a little detached, by hiding behind our cameras and computers,” Press said. “It’s good to get out there in the real world and real people. I think I will come back to communicating ideas with a much greater depth of understanding about people and what their problems, needs and hopes are.”

Press is not ruling out another run for office, but added that another campaign was not in his current plans either. Press pledged to “do whatever I can” to aid Garamendi in his general election bid against Republican insurance agent Wes Bannister of Huntington Beach.

Press was critical of media coverage, especially by television, of the insurance commissioner’s race. Only fund-raising or negative television commercials attracted media interest, he charged.

“Any time Walter Zelman (the former Common Cause executive director who finished fourth in the Democratic primary) or I tried to talk about substantive issues, like earthquake insurance or fraud, no one would show up,” Press said. “It was impossible to get attention to this race. This campaign was not the media’s finest hour.”