After KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin died suddenly of a heart attack on Friday, his visibly distraught colleague Frank Buckley choked up on air when announcing the news of his passing.
“We have some news from the KTLA family that is shocking and hard to comprehend at the moment. We have the profoundly sad duty to report that our friend and colleague Sam Rubin has died. Our hearts, as you can imagine, are broken,” Buckley said at the top of his 1 p.m. PST broadcast.
“Quite simply, Sam was KTLA,” he added, citing Rubin’s decades of news and awards show coverage. “His laugh, his charm, his caring personality…”
The visibly shaken anchor paused before continuing, with a breaking voice, “To all of us he shared his mornings with on television, and to those he worked with behind the scenes on KTLA, we will not forget.”
Buckley, on the verge of tears, added, “The role that he cherished most was husband and father.” He then told Rubin’s wife and children, “Our thoughts are with you. We share in the sadness.”
The anchor further explained, “We have waited to broadcast this news until we made sure that Sam’s family members had been notified.”
“The station is filled with great sadness. It’s a shock to all of us because he was here yesterday with all of us,” Buckley noted. “Our newsroom is now trying to get the horrific details of this story that touches us so closely.”
Rubin passed away at his home following his regular Hollywood news appearance for KTLA on Friday, according to media reports. He was 64.
Watch the tribute to Sam Rubin in the video above.
