Eric Johnson, anchor at KOMO Seattle, will retire as of June 6. Johnson anchors the 5 and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts and writes/produces/hosts “Eric’s Heroes,” segments that air Wednesdays on the 6 p.m. news.
Johnson joined KOMO in 1993. He has spent 39 years in television.
“Eric is one of the best writers and storytellers in the country,” KOMO news director Philip Bruce said. “He is a master at capturing special things in ordinary places and shining a light on them, with just the right words and pictures.”
KOMO is celebrating Johnson’s career by airing stories that showcase his work in Seattle. That began April 29 and continues on Tuesdays through June 4. Anchors Mary Nam and Molly Shen “will take viewers on a journey of Eric’s early days, his impactful
documentaries and also remembering the 700-plus stories that honored ‘Eric’s Little Heroes’ and ‘Eric’s Heroes’s through the years,” KOMO said.
Sports director Niko Tamurian will detail Johnson’s sports career in the early days.
Johnson joined the station as a weekend sportscaster, then became lead sports anchor when Bruce King retired. He shifted to news in 2010.
Johnson previously worked at KBCI and KTVB Boise, Idaho; KREM Spokane, Washington; and KGW Portland, Oregon.
He has also produced a number of documentaries, including Seattle is Dying, about addiction, mental illness and homelessness, and follow-up The Fight for the Soul of Seattle.
He grew up in Washington’s Spokane Valley and majored in broadcasting at Washington State University.
He shared about working in his home state on KomoNews.com. “I had a blast,” Johnson said. “My mom and dad are watching. My high school friends are watching. I remember my dad walking around in a CBS jacket with a KREM hat and shirt as if to say, just ask me what my son does for a living.”
