Ross McGowan, host of “Mornings on Two,” announced Thursday that he plans to sign off from KTVU for the last time on Friday, Oct. 2. He’s been on KTVU for 17 years and before that was co-host of “People Are Talking” on KPIX for 14 years.

“I’ve had a great run at KTVU, and getting up at 2 o’clock in the morning for the past 17 years hasn’t been as difficult as you might think, although I’m looking forward to tossing out the alarm clock,” said McGowan. “Every morning, Bay Area viewers have allowed me into their homes. That’s an invite I’ve never taken for granted.”

“Ross McGowan is the master of the live TV interview. He’s the best I’ve ever seen.
His easygoing style puts people at ease, but he always asks tough questions,” said Tim McVay, vice president and general manager of KTVU.

McGowan has conducted more than 10,000 live interviews on “Mornings on Two,” going one-on-one with the likes of Walter Cronkite, Barack Obama and celebrities such as Paul Newman, Ellen DeGeneres, Dana Carvey and Bill O’Reilly.

A news release from KTVU says McGowan’s broadcasting career began while he was attending San Jose State University. He worked summers for KBMX in Coalinga, and later worked as an announcer for KSJO and KLIV radio in San Jose, KYOS radio in Merced, and KIRO radio in Seattle before joining KING-TV, where he hosted Seattle Tonight, a live nightly talk show. McGowan came to San Francisco in 1978 to co-host “People Are Talking.”

McGowan will continue to spend a good deal of time in Mill Valley where he has lived for 20 years and at his new home in Healdsburg.