Ryan Yamamoto
I was born in Oakland, grew up in the East Bay, and went to college in San Francisco where I graduated with a degree in Broadcasting at San Francisco State University (Go Gators!).
My job in journalism has taken me across the country from Columbia, Missouri, at KMIZ as a reporter, a Weekend Anchor in Pocatello, Idaho, at KPVI before landing in Sacramento at KCRA in 1998.
During my return to California, I covered major stories from the Ted Kaczynski "Unabomber" trial, the Yosemite killings and arrest of Cary Stayner, the recall and the election of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and California wildfires.
In 2005, I made the jump from news to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a Sports Anchor. I first started in San Diego at KSWB before returning to Sacramento at KXTV where I had an opportunity to cover the 49ers Super Bowl appearance in New Orleans, the Giants three World Series titles and the Golden State Warriors NBA Championships.
My appreciation and love of sports goes beyond just being a fan. In college, I was an actual employee of the Golden State Warriors (too short to play). During the RUN TMC days, I operated the music and animation board (we all remember Aretha Franklin's "Respect") on game days.
The most recent career move took me from sports and back to news, moving to the Pacific Northwest where I braved the early AM hours as a Morning Anchor in Seattle at KOMO.
But now, I am back home and proud to join the KPIX 5 team.
One of the best parts of being back is reconnecting with family and friends and rediscovering the Bay Area – from the sights, the attractions, but seriously all the delicious restaurants (always looking for recommendations!)
Outside of work, I've trained for nearly 20 years in martial arts in muay Thai kickboxing and boxing (but please don't challenge me, because I'm not very good). I also consider myself an avid runner. In December of 2021, I painfully finished my first marathon in Honolulu. If I am not running along the waterfront, you might find me slowly walking my dog "Chuey", who is a senior Golden Retriever.
Along with a career in broadcasting, one of my proudest moments was becoming a first-time filmmaker. In 2016, my wife and I completed a documentary on U.S. Olympic weightlifter Tommy Kono – who is not just the greatest American weightlifter of all-time, but one of the greatest in the world. The film aired nationally on local PBS stations and was nominated for an Emmy.
I am a member of the NATAS and honored to be a five-time Emmy winner and multiple nominee for both reporting and anchoring. I am also a long-time member of the Asian American Journalists Association.
