News 8 :: KFMB Stations, San Diego, California

"I've managed to live my entire life without having a real job!"

Making it look easy. That's what News 8 Feature Reporter Larry Himmel does best. Since 1979, he's been entertaining San Diegans with his warmth, wit and humor. "My biggest influence is Soupy Sales," he says.

His background is nothing to laugh it. Chicago-born Larry scored high in the academic world, earning his master's degree in Speech from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

His first broadcasting gigs were in radio. In 1969, he was the night DJ at WSIV radio in Pekin, IL. After a brief stint teaching seventh-grade English, he returned to radio on WJOB in Hammond, Indiana. Two years, Larry was spinning the hits at a top-rated radio station in Chicago. Then he was off to Canada at CJOM-FM in Windsor, Ontario. Seeking "fame, fortune and sunny weather," he left the Canadian chill and headed west to San Diego.

After a series of short-term radio gigs, Larry almost gave up on broadcasting altogether. He became a bartender at a small pub in Ocean Beach. Everyone knows there is no better place to get showbiz material than a bar. Six months later, Larry was off to radioland fame when he became "The Cruiser" on KGB-FM, a gig that lasted six years.

As Larry's fame grew, so did his schtick. In 1977, he began spinning the jokes at the La Jolla Comedy Store as a stand-up comedian. Two years later, he scored his most important laugh - with the News 8 Executive Producer, who was in the audience. Larry had found his ticket to the news biz. In 1979, News 8 hired him to do his famous "Larry Himmel at Large" commentaries. The rest, as they say, is showbiz history.

What was his most memorable TV moment? "Interviewing people at a nudist camp."

Amidst all of the humor, there is a serious side to Larry's reports. "Truth can be told in humor so much more easy than just by putting the facts in front of someone," he explains.

Now, Larry is taking his humor and educational background into San Diego County high schools every week with News 8's FORCE 8 project. Larry is working with the San Diego County Office of Education's Safe Schools Unit to teach high school students to resolve their conflicts without violence. "After Columbine, I made a commitment to dedicate a part of my career to help prevent youth violence. I want to do something to shape the world we all live in and the world my child will grow up in."

His sharp writing and great sense of humor have earned Larry lots of loyal viewers - and some big kudos from his colleagues. He's won a whopping ten local Emmys! Larry lives with a "pack of wolves," a.k.a. his wife and son. He enjoys playing Jai Alai and thinking up new ways to make you smile.