Kenneth Leon Jones (June 9, 1938 – May 13, 1993) was an American television journalist, actor, reporter and news anchor. He was Los Angeles television's first black weeknight news anchor, working for

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

television station

KTTV-TV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outlet ...

channel 11 and KNXT channel 2 (now known as

KCBS-TV KCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent outl ...

). Jones was known for his reports on the 1965 Watts riots and the

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

of Sen.

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

in 1968. Ken Jones also conceived and published, along with his wife Regina Jones, SOUL, a black entertainment newsmagazine, from 1966-82. In 1992, Ken was diagnosed with

bladder cancer Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become mali ...

and after a short battle with the disease, died in May 1993.

Background

The oldest of three children, Ken was born to Georgia Wood Jones and Henry Leon Jones in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He graduated from

John C. Fremont John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

High school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in Los Angeles. He married Regina Nickerson in 1958. Regina is the granddaughter of

William Nickerson Jr. William Nickerson Jr. (January 26, 1879 – November 14, 1945) was a prominent Los Angeles-based businessman and founder of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, which at one time was the largest black-owned business west of the Mississip ...

, co-founder of

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, was once the largest black-owned insurance company in the western United States, founded by William Nickerson Jr. with the assistance of Norman Oliver Houston and George Allen Beavers Jr. Founding In t ...

. Together Ken and Regina Jones had four sons, Kenneth, Jr., Kevin, Keith, Kory, and one daughter Karen. In 1992, Jones was diagnosed with bladder cancer and after a short battle with the disease, died in May 1993.

Career

He was hired as a reporter for the

Los Angeles Herald-Examiner The ''Los Angeles Herald Examiner'' was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published in the afternoon from Monday to Friday and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. It was part of the Hearst syndicate. It was formed when the afternoon ' ...

Newspaper in 1954. He became a disc jockey at

KBCA KBCA (channel 41) is a television station in Alexandria, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with the digital multicast network Heroes & Icons. The station is owned by Wilderness Communications, and broadcasts from a transmitter in Oakdale, Lou ...

and KGFJ radio and a news director for

KDAY KDAY (93.5 FM, "93.5 KDAY") is a radio station that is licensed to Redondo Beach, California and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Meruelo Media and airs a classic hip hop format. The station's studios are located in ...

radio in L.A. in 1962. He worked as a production assistant for the West Coast edition of the Huntley-Brinkley Report from 1963-65 which he left to become a regular newscaster for

KRLA KRLA (870 kHz) "AM 870 The Answer" is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Glendale, California, it serves Greater Los Angeles and Southern California. The station is owned by Salem Media Group, which also ...

radio in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

, a position he held until 1967 when he was hired as a feature reporter, then was promoted to weeknight Anchor at

KTTV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outle ...

-TV in Los Angeles where he received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for a one-hour news special, ''The High Cost of Health Care May Be Hazardous To Your Health''. His growing prominence led to numerous TV and film roles including The Candidate (1972) and

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, after ...

(1972) (TV). Ken worked as a reporter and weekend anchor at KNXT, now

Los Angeles, in 1980. Ken Jones tv.com
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Community involvement

Film and television acting career

Jones appeared in many shows throughout the 1970's and 1980's.

Awards and honors

Filmography

*" The Candidate" - himself (1972) *" Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" - himself (Archive Footage) (2008)

Television work (actor)

" The Liberation of Marcia Brady - Newscaster (1971) *"

McMillan & Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

" - Newscaster 3 episodes (1972–1974) *" Police Woman" - Newscaster (1977) *" The Young Runaways" - Mike Carruthers (1978) *"

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' was an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who decides to hold a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, i ...

" - reporter (1983)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Ken American male journalists 20th-century American journalists 1938 births 1993 deaths Regional Emmy Award winners Male actors from Los Angeles Television anchors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors Deaths from bladder cancer Deaths from cancer in California