Doug Sovern to Retire After 35 Years at KCBS Radio

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, April 25, 2025 | 10:48am CT

Doug Sovern

After a distinguished career spanning four decades, veteran journalist Doug Sovern is signing off from KCBS Radio in San Francisco. The station's longtime political reporter announced he will retire at the end of April to focus on writing, music, and family.

"After 40 years on the radio in San Francisco, the last 35 on KCBS Radio, I'm retiring to write books, make music & raise my kids," Sovern posted Thursday on X. "My last show hosting State of California will be next Wednesday, April 30, 3:30pm. Thanks for a most extraordinary, exhilarating & unexpected career."

Sovern, 64, began his journalism journey as a copy clerk at the New York Times and later reported for the Associated Press. He moved to the Bay Area in 1985 to play bass in a band, but after the group disbanded, he transitioned into radio, joining KCBS in 1990 after stints at K-101 and KGO.

Over the next three decades, Sovern became a fixture in Bay Area journalism. He covered major events including the 1992 Los Angeles riots, numerous presidential campaigns, and international stories like the Tour de France. He interviewed presidential candidates from both parties and reported on some of the most defining political moments of the past 35 years.

His work earned him more than 250 journalism awards, including several Edward R. Murrow Awards and repeated recognition from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association as Best Reporter in Radio across 13 Western states. In 2017, Sovern was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.

Since 2020, Sovern has co-hosted KCBS's weekday political program The State of California, a live interview show airing at 3:30pm, where he and guests analyze statewide political developments.

Beyond journalism, Sovern has built a second career as a writer and musician. He's published award-winning short fiction, including the Twitter novel TweetHeart, and is currently working on his first traditional novel, All Great and Precious Things, expected in 2026. A bassist and songwriter, he released the avant-blues album Kinds of Blue in 2019, collaborating with Bay Area musicians Henry Kaiser, Scott Amendola, and Owen Maercks.

Sovern lives in Oakland with his wife, Sara Newmann, and their twins. His final broadcast of The State of California is scheduled for April 30.