Ed Arnold, who spent 60 years working in broadcasting at Los Angeles radio and TV stations including KTLA and KABC, has died. He was 86.
Arnold suffered from heart disease for many years and died Thursday, according to close friend Bob Tarlau.
Arnold attended Santa Ana College and then California State University Long Beach, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in speech with a radio/TV/film emphasis. He also was a member of the Santa Ana Dons 1961 Eastern Conference Championship football team.
He worked at several radio stations in Los Angeles and Orange County before joining KTLA in the late 1960s as an announcer and later a sportscaster. He left the station in 1975, joining KABC’s Eyewitness News team until 1986. He also served as the voice of public TV station KCET; was a sports personality for radio stations KRLA, KHTZ and KMPC; served as co-host and managing editor of PBS SoCal/KOCE-TV’s Real Orange; and was an announcer for the internationally televised Hour of Power religious program. In 1986, he returned to KTLA, working at the station until 1999.
Arnold received many honors throughout his career, including being inducted into the Santa Ana College Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2009 and into the Vanguard University Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2011. He also served as president and chairman of the Santa Ana College Foundation and was a member of the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame executive committee that raised money to provide scholarships for student athletes. The SAC golf tournament was renamed the Ed Arnold Golf Classic in 2003 in honor of the work that he did for the school’s athletics programs.
Arnold also served as emcee at various events at Vanguard, where his wife of 63 years, Dixie, was chair of the Liberal Studies department for many years. The Arnolds also have their name on the Vanguard University Lyceum Theater, which was added in 2014.
Arnold also was regular at events hosted by the News Geezers, a group of mostly retired Southern California broadcasting and news veterans, until his health prevented him from attending.
In addition to his wife, survivors include his son, Dean, daughter-in-law Rachel and grandchildren Jacob and Luke.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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