Kathy Vara co-anchors NBC4’s weekend evening newscasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. She also co-anchors the weekday NBC4 News at 11 a.m. and is a general assignment reporter during the week. A Los Angeles television veteran, Vara relocated from the East Coast to Southern California in 1994 to become the co-anchor of “Today in LA,” the station’s early-morning newscast. Since then, she has become widely-respected for her versatility and journalistic integrity.
During her tenure at NBC4, Vara has been live during a number of significant breaking news stories, including the O.J. Simpson criminal trial, the North Hollywood bank robbery shoot-out, the Columbine High School massacre, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Conrad Murray trial, and the Chilean Miner Rescue.
She also has won three Golden Mike Awards for Best Daytime Newscast, and was also part of the team that won two local-area Emmy Awards for Best Regularly Scheduled Daily Morning Newscast.
Vara is also known for her dedication to organizations that promote Lupus awareness and education. Her passion for equestrian sports has helped local non-profit organizations utilizing horses and riding skills to teach inner-city youth life skills. One of these organizations, the Compton Junior Posse, honored Vara in 2011 for her work with the after-school program that helps Compton youngsters stay off the streets and out of gangs.
Vara has also been honored by the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Local Impact Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism. The award honored her for her many contributions to local television and to the community. She is a proud recipient of the prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award from President Clinton and the Women of Courage Award from the City of Los Angeles.
Vara began her broadcasting career at North Texas State University in Denton, where she was a producer and host of “North Texas Scene,” a thirty-minute magazine program featuring college and local life. She also interned at the Dallas NBC affiliate, where her interviews aired on the station’s newscasts.
Vara is married and lives in the Los Angeles area with a menagerie of pets, including two dogs, horses and a very outspoken Cockatiel named Prince Harry. A competitive equestrian, Vara has won regional titles in Dressage. She is a native of San Antonio, Texas.
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