After more than four decades in news broadcasting, Fresno news anchor and University of the Pacific alumnus Dale Yurong ’83 has received one of the industry’s highest honors: induction into the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Silver Circle.

Yurong was one of 11 inductees honored this year by the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter, which extends from Hawaii to Reno, Nevada.

The Silver Circle recognizes professionals who demonstrate exceptional service, dedication and contributions to the television industry for 25 years or more.

“Dale Yurong’s induction into the Silver Circle honors a career defined by authenticity, dedication and a deep connection to the Central Valley,” said Brooks Jarosz, president of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “His storytelling has not only informed but inspired generations, and we’re proud to celebrate his enduring impact on our industry.”

When Yurong learned of his selection, he was in the middle of doing what he has done for more than 40 years: delivering the news for ABC30. “I was actually doing a newscast,” he recalled. “I looked down and saw an email from (the academy). I figured I’d get to it during the commercial break. Then I looked at it and thought, ‘Oh! I got into the Silver Circle!’”

A Stockton native and Edison High School graduate, Yurong earned a degree in communication at Pacific. During his time at the university, he was a Community Involvement Program scholar, serving as the program’s student association president, and worked for KUOP, the university’s radio station. 

His path to broadcasting began on his first day at Pacific. Yurong recalls wandering into KUOP headquarters to learn more about the station. The news director had vacancies for student staff, and after hearing Yurong’s voice, appointed him sports director on the spot. That moment set everything in motion. Yurong delivered sportscasts, lunchtime and evening newscasts and eventually became a Saturday night DJ playing R&B, hip-hop and rap.

After graduating in 1983, Yurong moved to Fresno after applying for a news writer position at ABC30. While he didn’t land that job, he accepted a role on the assignment desk. Persistent audition tapes eventually earned him an on-air position. That was 42 years ago.

Since then, Yurong has reported from presidential inaugurations and interviewed cultural icons including Michael Jordan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He created “Dine and Dish,” the popular food segment that highlights cultural identity through cuisine.

His work earned him two regional Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award. The Associated Press also named him “Reporter of the Year.”

Throughout his career, Yurong has understood the impact of representation on air. “I was well aware that I was one of the few Asian American men to get on that anchor desk,” he said. “Even today, there are not a lot of Asian men who get a chance to anchor the news on a nightly basis. I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years about that, to try to encourage them, and they would tell me, ‘We see you on the air, so we know it can be done.’ That feels good.”

Still, he credits Pacific with laying his foundation. “I wouldn’t be here doing what I’m doing if I didn’t get that head start in broadcasting at KUOP,” he said. “I owe a lot to the school.”