KGO-TV co-anchor Wilson dies

PALO ALTO -- Pete Wilson, an award-winning broadcast journalist who co-anchored the evening news at the San Francisco Bay Area's KGO-TV, died of a massive heart attack during hip replacement surgery. He was 62.

Wilson, who also hosted KGO Radio's daily afternoon talk radio call-in show, died Friday night at Stanford University Hospital, according to KGO-TV, San Francisco's ABC affiliate.

Wilson's last television broadcast on KGO-TV, also known as ABC7, was on Wednesday. Before his surgery, Wilson had told radio listeners he was nervous about the procedure.

Wilson first joined the news operation at KGO-TV in 1983 after a stint at KTXL-TV in Sacramento. He later went on to anchor the news broadcast at San Francisco competitor KRON-TV for 12 years before returning to KGO-TV about five-and-a-half years ago.

A Wisconsin native, Wilson began his broadcasting career at a country-western station in Milwaukee more than 30 years ago. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in journalism and creative writing.

The Vietnam veteran won several Emmys, Associated Press awards and two Peabody awards for his work, including one for his coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

"He was never fully satisfied just reporting the facts of a situation," KGO Radio President and General Manager Mickey Luckoff said. "He constantly questioned and probed the logic behind the beliefs and views of those in the news."

Wilson lived in Marin County. He is survived by his wife, Sandra, and a son, Brendan, a college student.