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
Farmers Insurance says they'll write more policies as homeowners' market improves
Farmers Insurance says the marketplace has improved in California and that they can now expand the number of policies it can write each month.
GM quits 'robotaxi' business but others push on
After admitting, less than a month ago, that it lied to federal Investigators about one of its robotaxis dragging a woman in San Francisco as well as paying a $1.5 million dollar fine, General Motors is throwing in the towel on its Cruise robotaxi project.
East Oakland shop owner criticizes police response after burglary hit
Police are investigating a brazen robbery at a cellphone repair shop in East Oakland.
Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis faces scrutiny
On the day the Alameda County Board of Supervisors accepted the certified election results for candidates and measures from the Registrar of Voters, the head of the registrar faced scrutiny from emboldened residents.
Who is Royl Roberts? Timeline for selecting interim Alameda County DA
Following the recall of progressive Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, her next-in-line, Royl Roberts, was handed the torch to keep the office running. He said he has no desire to run for the actual position in two years.
Northern California communities give a sigh of relief from minimal earthquake damage
The day after a 7.0 earthquake struck Humboldt County, it is apparent that it did remarkably little damage considering the quake's magnitude. This is welcome news for Northern California communities who exhaled a collective sigh of relief.
Northern California coast endures 7.0 earthquake, dodges tsunami
There is no other way to say it, California's North Coast dodged one of nature’s biggest bullets. Hours after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the Rio Dell Volunteer Fire Department was responding to calls.
New strains of sudden oak death threaten Bay Area trees
The pathogen is found in 16 coastal and near coastal counties from the Oregon border to the southern border of Monterey County.
State lawmakers begin quest to 'Trump-proof' California
A special legislative session got underway in Sacramento on Monday in an effort to 'Trump-proof" California.
Sonoma County says good riddance to first bout of atmospheric storm
Parts of Sonoma County were hit by as much as 15 inches of rain, with Occidental getting more than 20 inches. Much of the runoff will make its way down to the Russian River from it massive 1500 square mile drainage area.