Anchors
Paul Magers
Paul Magers, one of the most highly regarded news anchors in the country, joined the CBS 2 News team on January 5, 2004. A native of Santa Maria, California, Magers and Laura Diaz anchor the station's weekday 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts.
Magers returned to Southern California after having served as an anchor for KARE-TV in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota since 1983. In addition to anchoring the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts at KARE, he hosted numerous specials and moderated political debates (including the November 2002 debate between former vice president Walter Mondale and Norm Coleman, who were vying for a seat in the U.S. Senate following the death of Paul Wellstone) and participated in a wide variety of community events, including a 1997 telethon to raise money for flood relief in Minnesota.
His most recent national television appearance was in March 2003, when he served as a substitute anchor on the weekend editions of NBC's "Today" show.
Magers was born in Santa Maria, California and spent the majority of his childhood in Ellensburg, Washington. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1977. In 1979, he earned his juris doctorate degree from the Hamline University School of Law.
The recipient of numerous industry awards, including several Emmys and a Golden Mike, Magers began his broadcasting career at KSTP-TV in St. Paul, then moved in 1979 to KATU-TV in Portland, where he began working as an on-air reporter. In 1981, he moved down the West Coast to KGTV-TV in San Diego, where he spent two years as a reporter and anchor before he returned to the Twin Cities and began his 20-year career with KARE.