Beloved California News Anchor Dick Cable Dies at 89

Cable was a staple of the Sacramento news airwaves for three decades as the former anchor of KXTV.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Beloved California news anchor Dick Cable passed away on Wednesday at the age of 89 after a long illness. Cable was a fixture of the Sacramento news scene for 30 years as the anchor of KXTV. He met his wife Berta while she was interning at the station in 1973, and they went on to have five children together. Cable's career had some ups and downs, including being taken off the air briefly in the late 1970s, but he remained a beloved figure in the community until his passing.

Why it matters

Dick Cable was a highly respected and long-serving news anchor in the Sacramento market, known for his warm personality and credibility. His death marks the end of an era for local news in the region, as he was part of a generation of anchors who helped define the industry during its heyday.

The details

Cable was born in New York in 1936 and followed in his father's footsteps, who worked for the military news outlet Stars and Stripes. He was hired by the CBS affiliate KXTV (then known as News10) in Sacramento in 1969 and went on to anchor the news there for three decades. In the late 1970s, he was briefly taken off the air in pursuit of a "youth movement," but returned in 1981. Cable was known for his no-nonsense but personable on-air presence, which appealed to his longtime co-anchor Jennifer Smith.

  • Dick Cable was born on June 23, 1936 in New York.
  • He was hired by KXTV (then News10) in Sacramento in January 1969.
  • Cable met his wife Berta Gonzales when she interned at KXTV in 1973.
  • Cable and Berta Gonzales were married in 1977.
  • Cable passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2026 at the age of 89.

The players

Dick Cable

A beloved news anchor who worked at KXTV in Sacramento for three decades, known for his warm personality and credibility.

Berta Gonzales Cable

Dick Cable's wife of 48 years, whom he met when she interned at KXTV in 1973.

Jennifer Smith

Dick Cable's longtime co-anchor at KXTV, who described him as "warm and real and no-nonsense" and the opposite of a "pompous and slick" TV anchor.

Stan Atkinson

Another prominent Sacramento broadcaster who worked with Dick Cable, and described him and Atkinson as coming from an "old school" where "credibility was what it's about."

Risa Omega

The President and General Manager of ABC10, who said "Dick leaves a legacy in this building and in this town."

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What they’re saying

“He was so warm and real and no-nonsense and certainly not any kind of how some people view TV anchors as kind of pompous and slick. He was the opposite of that.”

— Jennifer Smith, Dick Cable's longtime co-anchor (The Sacramento Bee)

“Being a good guy may not carry the weight it once did, but Dick and I came from that old school where credibility was what it's about. He is a good guy and it shows.”

— Stan Atkinson (The Sacramento Bee)

“Dick leaves a legacy in this building and in this town.”

— Risa Omega, ABC10 President and General Manager (ABC10)

The takeaway

Dick Cable's passing marks the end of an era for local news in Sacramento, as he was a beloved and respected figure who embodied the credibility and professionalism that defined the industry during its heyday. His warm personality and commitment to his community left a lasting impact that will be remembered by those who worked with him and the viewers who welcomed him into their homes for decades.