Veteran Los Angeles traffic reporter Jeff Baugh has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 81.
Baugh was a native New Yorker who moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 1979. He spent time as the DJ at the infamous "El Privado Room" at Carlos and Charlie's on the Sunset Strip. He attended broadcast school and interned at some local radio stations before getting a job as a traffic reporter at KFWB in 1988 and quickly moved to airborne reporting. He joined the KFI News team on April 3, 2017 as our "KFI In The Sky."
He spent over 35 years helping Southern California commuters navigate through sig alerts, daily traffic, and massive brush fires. Listeners expressed that his reports were always 'upbeat and positive,' even during the toughest traffic times.
Baugh was a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. Outside of work, he loved working on his cars, NHRA drag racing, and co-authored a book, “Stick With Us And We’ll Get You There: How To Be Where You Want To Be On The Road And In Life.”
His KFI colleagues weighed in on the news of his death.
News Director Chris Little:
"Jeff was a classy, wonderful, consummate professional who just wanted to fly everyday and, with a smile, tell commuters they were screwed. He also enjoyed sharing good traffic news. Jeff LOVED flying and he loved talking about traffic."
KFI Program Director, Robin Bertolucci:
"He was such a positive and warm part of our team. He loved what he did and you could tell. Hearing his voice in the morning made my commute easier, even when the traffic still sucked. We were all so lucky to have an opportunity to work with Jeff and today the world seems a little emptier without him in it."
Host Tim Conway Jr:
"We lost a dear friend and one of the best! @kfiam640 Airborne reporter Jeff Baugh. Deepest sympathies to Jeff’s family & friends! #KFIintheSky will never be the same! RIP my friend."
Fellow traffic reporter Nick Pagliochini:
"Jeff Baugh was a class act. He really loved his job. He loved helping people. He just wanted to make sure listeners got where they were going, safely, and that they would arrive to their destination with the most accurate, up-to-the-minute info available. He really was the original Google Maps, or Waze - providing you alternate routes to get you to your destination on time, or even early! Now he's the ultimate airborne, with the best seat in the house, keeping an eye on our drive from here on out! Semper fi! Hurrah!"
Host, Jennifer Jones Lee:
"Not only was he one of the best traffic reporters I've ever worked with....he was one of the kindest men I've ever known...a true gentleman."
Jennifer played some of Neil Saavedra's interview with Baugh; you can hear that below.
Mo Kelly also offered a tribute to Jeff Baugh.