Dana King … Before and After

For the past two months, viewers of KPIX’s “Eyewitness News” at 6 and 11 have been watching Dana King’s hair turn gray. The change has been gradual, not sudden like when Bob Barker in 1987 went from dark to gray overnight.

Last night, King explained her decision after doing a story about why people decide to stop coloring her hair. She explained that she had been coloring her hair for 20 years.

“For me, it was a decision about matching my looks with my experience,” said King, 50 51.

It’s a risky move in a business that worships youth. But she said the response from viewers have been overwhelming. She held up a stack of email printouts and said she’s received more correspondence on this subject than on anything else she’s ever done in the news business.

She said many viewers asked about her health. She said she’s in good health.

She said that more than 99% of the e-mails were positive. Here’s a link to her story and links to the conversations on Facebook and Twitter. And here’s a Q&A media blogger Rich Lieberman did with King in March.