In the 1980s, Bob was hired by the Cable News Network to be their  National News Correspondent based in San Francisco. He covered many major stories including the Alviso floods, the Coalinga earthquake, the second Juan Corona murder trial, Oakland A's Manager Billy Martin's return to the N.Y Yankees, the recall election for San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and President Ronald Reagan's California welcome for England's Queen Elizabeth II.

Before moving to the west coast in 1982, Bob was the Weekend News Anchor for EYEWITNESS NEWS (NBC affiliate) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the nation's fourth largest television market. While there he also served as a Group W Westinghouse Broadcasting Medical Reporter and the KYW-TV 3 New Jersey Bureau Chief. The television station in Philadelphia was directly across the street from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall where the U.S. Constitution was written.

In 1977, Bob moved east for the first time and served as a National News Producer and TV Reporter for Newsweek's Broadcast News Service in New York City. He traveled extensively across the United States developing timely news feature stories for 65 local TV stations nationwide.

Bob began his broadcast news professional career in June, 1976 at WHO-TV 13 in Des Moines, Iowa. One month after graduation from college, he landed an entry level News Reporter position. Within a few months he was promoted to Weekend Co-Anchor of this NBC affiliate EYEWITNESS NEWS program. WHO-TV was where Ronald Reagan began his broadcast career as a radio sport reporter. Des Moines is very cold in the winter but, for Bob, it remains a city with some of the warmest and kindest people in America.

Bob Rucker graduated from Northern Illinois University in May, 1976 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science, and minor is Secondary Education. This liberal arts institution is 60 miles west of Bob's home town, Chicago, Illinois. NIU is state school about the same size as San Jose State University. Working at SJUS reminds Bob of his days at NIU.

It was by accident that he got involved with broadcasting. A dorm buddy asked Bob to read the news on his campus radio program. Senior year, Bob went through open auditions on campus and landed the Sports Anchor position TV NEWS 10, the NIU student produced daily weekday television newscast in the Fall, 1975. He learned quickly the writing style and loved it so much he applied for and was appointed the TV Sports Producer in the Spring, 1976. A faculty person encouraged Bob to put together a resume tape and try for a career in TV news. "You can always go to law school," he said. Bob never did.

Today, at SJSU, he tells broadcast journalism students not to to worry so much about how their futures will unfold. Bob says you never know what you will encounter along the way that can fulfill your life in unexpected ways.

Many choices ARE possible if you prepare yourself well in college and stay open to learning & trying new things...meeting & getting to know new people and cultures...and trust & believe in yourself, your abilities and creativity.

Back in college, Bob planned and studied for a very different kind of professional life. By being flexible and open to unexpected opportunities, he has never been disappointed about not becoming a lawyer. 

Quite honestly,  Bob finds his current career in teaching exciting, fun, and THE MOST REWARDING of all.

Yes...more so than TV news!

 Headquarters: Manhattan, New York City

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.     

Bob Rucker in 1975.