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The longtime KTLA entertainment reporter was 64

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Sam Rubin


Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Sam Rubin, an entertainment anchor who had been at KTLA since 1991, has died. He was 64.

The reporter died of a heart attack at his home after broadcasting his daily Hollywood news report on the station. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.

“KTLA 5 is deeply saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin,” the said Channel wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Sam was a giant in the local news industry and entertainment world and a fixture on Los Angeles morning television for decades. His laugh, charm and caring personality touched everyone who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he valued most. Our thoughts are with Sam’s family at this difficult time.”

For diehard LA entertainment enthusiasts, Rubin was a fixture in the industry, covering many red carpets in addition to his role as the face of show business on KTLA Channel 5. He often hosted the station’s shows Live from the Oscars and had his own celebrity talk show for a while, Hollywood uncensored. Rubin was popular for his friendly demeanor and was never afraid to ask tough questions to a beat that many broadcast news programs often treated as fluff.

In addition to his numerous Emmy wins, Rubin received the Golden Mike Award for Best Entertainment Reporter, a lifetime achievement award from the Southern California Broadcasters Association, and was named Best Entertainment Reporter by the Los Angeles Press Club. He was also honored by the National Hispanic Media Coalition in 2013 and received the annual Impact Award for Outstanding Integrity in Broadcast Journalism.

Rubin co-authored two biographies, one about former First Lady Jacqueline Onassis, Jackie: A lasting impressionand the other about Mia Farrow, simply titled Mia Farrow.

He was one of the founding members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which is one of the largest organizations of film and television critics in the country with over 200 members.

There’s more to come.

Lesley Goldberg contributed to this story.

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