Gene joined NBC 7 San Diego in 1983 after reporting stints at KFMB-TV (1979-1983), the San Diego Union (1977-79), San Diego Daily Transcript (1973-77), and San Diego Independent (1972-73).
His news coverage focuses on politics, government, civic issues, law and economics. He also co-produces and moderates “Politically Speaking,” NBC7’s weekly public affairs program.
“Information comes in a nanosecond,” Gene likes to say. “Wisdom takes its own sweet time.”
Explanation?
Beyond facts and figures, -- the ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ elements of journalism – there’s an obligation to grasp and report the ‘back stories’, the underlying plots and emotions .
Daily news demands that it all be done in minutes or hours.
But it takes years, decades of experience to meet that demand with wisdom, -- and wit, when it may be called for -- at a consistently high level.
Gene’s career highlights: on-one interviews with Presidents H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Texas Gov. George W. Bush during his campaign for President; four national political conventions, three major earthquakes, two jetliner crashes, two Super Bowls, several catastrophic brush fires, floods, two shooting massacres and countless murder and corruption trials.
Also among his more memorable stories are a week-long pursuit of a crooked, high-profile financier/political patron who fled San Diego to a refuge on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, and a local transit bus hijacking that ended with the suspect surrendering at Gene’s feet.
Gene has been recognized with numerous awards from the San Diego Press Club (incl. Harold Keen Award / Career Contributions), Golden Mic/Southern California, Emmy/NATAS Pacific Southwest Chapter (incl. Silver Circle/Career Contributions), San Diego County Bar Assn., Society of Professional Journalists/San Diego and San Diego County Taxpayers Assn.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Stanford University.
Gene and his wife Jan Hudson, an award-winning former NBC 7 and ABC News field producer, have two sons who work in the television/film and music recording industries.
Drop Gene a line: gene.cubbison@nbcuni.com
Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gcubnbcsd
