KUSA anchor Gary Shapiro is retiring after four decades on the air.
Shapiro has anchored the Denver NBC affiliate’s morning show since 1989. He started at the station as a reporter in 1983.
“It’s just time. Even though it was never easy getting up in the middle of the night, I’ve loved being on the morning show with such a great crew, and with so many wonderful viewers,” said Shapiro. “But now it’s time to sleep in, spend time with my wife, do some traveling that we haven’t seemed to get to, ski during the week, and not worry about deadlines every day.
Shapiro has also produced TV specials and documentaries including an in-depth reports on Colorado’s Japanese internment camp Amache, Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, the U.S. Air Force Academy, as well as the Normandy, Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
His last broadcast will be Friday, December 9, from 4:30-9 a.m.
“I will always be thankful to the many on-air and behind-the-scenes people I’ve worked with, all the photojournalists, producers, directors, assignment editors, digital staff members and so many others who have helped and guided me for decades,” said Shapiro. “And again, I couldn’t have done any of it without our dedicated viewers. They are our second family. They continue to be the reason we all work so hard for so many hours.”