Bob Melrose is a San Jose native who colleagues say was the ultimate radio news reporter.
A graduate of Westmont High School in San Jose as well as San Jose State University, Melrose caught “the news bug” while listening to the Watergate hearings while in college. Upon graduation, he worked briefly as a disc jockey at KIQS in Willows, CA before becoming news director at KNBA in Vallejo.
That job ended after 16 months and Melrose struggled along on unemployment checks before KCBS managing editor Richard Hart called to offer him a spot in the newsroom. That was in 1976, and Melrose stayed at KCBS until his 2012 retirement.
Along the way, he covered thousands of stories large and small. At KCBS, he was known for assigning himself to breaking stories, simply showing up and calling the news desk to let editors know he was on-duty, no matter what time of day or night. For years, Melrose would commute to San Francisco hours before his shift began, sleeping on a couch at the radio station or its San Francisco City Hall bureau. His explanation: he didn’t want to deal with rush-hour traffic, and he’d be ready for the next breaking story.
Melrose’s honors include a Career Achievement Award in 2010 from the Society for Professional Journalists.