Giving Up the Chase

Love 'em or hate 'em, local TV's car chase coverage won't be the same now that Rod Bernsen has departed KTTV "Fox 11."

Bernsen, who until recently reported from the station's "Sky Fox 11" helicopter, is probably best-known as the station's go-to guy for breaking police and fire news.

Bernsen had a 24-hour pager that sounded whenever Fox 11 went wall-to-wall with coverage of a car chase or bigtime fire. He'd then flip on the TV, call into the station and immediately go on the air from home, providing play-by-play analysis from the foot of his bed. As a former LAPD sergeant, he had a better idea than most of what was actually going on.

The reporter more recently had been reassigned to general-assignment reporting after back surgery forced him to give up the Sky Fox gig. That ultimately set the stage for his departure.