Tom Vacar
After two years of freelancing while working full time in L.A., Tom became a full-time staff member of KTVU as Consumer Editor, in 1991.
Tom has covered every major disaster including earthquakes, wildfires, floods, levee breaks and droughts and has had a big hand in covering business, economics, consumer affairs, aerospace, space, the military, high technology, ports, logistics, airlines and general news.
Tom worked at KGO TV and KGO Radio from 1979-1985. He moved to KCBS-TV and KNX News Radio in 1985 before moving to KTTV in 1988.
Tom is originally from Salem, Ohio (a small industrial town of 11,000 people between Cleveland and Pittsburgh). He got his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Government at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio in 1972 as a designated Undergraduate Scholar. Tom got his Law Degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1978.
In his 31 years at KTVU, he calculates that he has covered 8,000 stories. For 18 years, KTVU was home to Tom’s syndicated Great American Toy Test (nominated for a national Emmy). He has covered many major disasters including the Caldor Fire in Lake Tahoe, the L.A. quake in 1994, the Napa Quake, the Great Recession, the Pandemic and the long drought.
Tom loves the diversity of the region’s people, cultures and ethnicities. That, he says, is what truly makes the Bay Area’s natural beauty even more beautiful.
Tom shoots still pictures, mostly of wildlife while traveling with his wife Sharon, a former SF Opera soprano who also worked as a producer for 17 years. He has also traveled to England, Italy, Japan, Honduras, Bahrain, British Virgin Islands, The Grenadines, St. Martin. Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Society Islands, Panama, etc.
The latest from Tom Vacar
A man who stands up for Oakland by saying "Oakland. California. Here life is worthless.“
There's a man in Oakland who literally follows crime scenes and other insults to his home town and shares it with the world; not to embarass his city but advocate for its resurrection. The Spanish words, spring out online, ““Oakland, California, donde la vida no vale nada. “Oakland, California, donde la vida no vale nada." In English: Oakland. California. Here life is worthless. “
Insurance reform: More competition or higher rates?
California is considering whether to allow insurance companies to use computer models to justify their rate hikes.
San Francisco's population is bouncing back
The mass migration away from California seems to be abating as the post-pandemic period and the overall U.S. economy improves.
SFO protest over Gaza creates chaos at airport
San Francisco International Airport was the site of a demonstration by pro-Palestinian protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza who showed up in force on Wednesday morning, and despite the noise and chaos, flights still took off on time.
Audit of Boeing finds dozens of issues
Since the Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout on January 5, Boeing's stock has nose-dived 26%; a $30 billion loss to shareholders and a cratering of its reputation.
Jewish UC Berkeley students fight against campus antisemitism
Jewish students, alumni, and faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, gathered on Monday to condemn campus antisemitism and demand the university do more to protect its Jewish community members.
Oakland mayor recall speeds ahead as residents gather calling for ouster
With lightning speed just three weeks into signature gathering, the effort to oust Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao appears to be gathering steam. Using a shuttered business for their stage, recallers say they are succeeding.
United plane from SFO loses tire after taking off
At SFO, a plane lost a tire while beginning its flight.
$75K in stolen merch seized after disruption of East Bay fencing operation
Organized retail theft is a concern for retailers as it deters customers and results in a loss of inventory.
Oakland Hills landslide continues to threaten Tunnel Road after 8 years
A landslide on Tunnel Road eight years ago continues to threaten residents in the Oakland Hills.