R.I.P.: KNX News Anchor Harry Birrell

Harry Birrell

Harry Birrell, a radio reporter and news anchor whose deep bass voice was heard on KNX 1070 AM for more than 30 years, died Saturday at his home in Thousand Oaks of complications from interstitial lung disease, said his son Walker.

He was 85, according to a story at the LA Times.

Birrell joined KNX in 1968 and was a regular weekday anchor on the all-news station until 1993, when he retired. But  he continued to file daily reports of Ventura County news from his home in Thousand Oaks until January 1999.

The Radio and Television News Assn. of Southern California recognized Birrell with multiple Golden Mike awards for excellence in local broadcast journalism.

He was born Henry Walker Birrell in Steubenville, Ohio, on March 5, 1928, but he was known throughout his life as Harry. He attended Miami University before he started his broadcasting career at WBVP in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania in 1949. From there he moved to WEIR in Weirton, West Virginia. Then on to WSTV in his home town, KLIF-Dallas, WNOE-New Orleans, KCBQ-San Diego, WINW-Canton, Ohio and WGBB-Merrick, Long Island, New York.

He joined KFWB, Group W Westinghouse, before being called by CBS and KNXNewsradio in 1968. He was hired as a news anchor and worked there for 25 years before retiring in 1993. But not completely. For the next 5 1/2 years, from his home studio, he continued to send in daily reports of Ventura County news that were heard throughout the day on KNX.

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