Dennis Richmond, a beloved Bay Area newsman and trailblazing Black journalist, died Wednesday, his former news channel, KTVU announced. He was 81.

“Dennis was a strong presence in the KTVU newsroom for decades, guiding the team and setting high standards for himself and his colleagues in everything they did,” the channel’s general manager Mellynda Hartel said. “His impact is still felt in the KTVU newsroom today.”

Richmond sat behind the anchor’s desk at KTVU − a local Fox station serving San Francisco and the surrounding cities − for over 30 years. First rising to the post in 1976 after being hired as a clerk, he retired in 2008 just before he turned 65.

A rare story in the news business, he remained not only on one network but at one station for the entirety of his career, forming a unique dialogue with viewers who welcomed his voice into their living rooms each evening at 10 p.m.

Among the country’s first Black anchors to work in a major market, Richmond broke down barriers for generations of journalists to come.