Christien Kafton
Christien has been reporting for KTVU since 2009. In his time at KTVU, he has worked every shift, from 4:30am working for "Mornings on 2" to the "Ten O'Clock News."
In his time at the station he has reported on hard-hitting stories including his Emmy-nominated reporting on the morning of the deadly Ghost Ship fire, and the Tubbs fire. Christien has also covered lighter human interest stories including the iconic Bay to Breakers, numerous San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors Championships.
Christien is a Bay Area native who grew up watching KTVU Channel 2 News when legendary anchor Dennis Richmond was on the anchor desk. Christien was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley. He attended Maybeck High School, and UC Berkeley before leaving the state for graduate school at Northwestern University. His first reporting job took him to Plattsburgh, NY, from here he moved on to Toledo, OH and Phoenix AZ before returning to the Bay Area; first working at NBC Bay Area before joining the Channel 2 News team.
Christien currently heads up KTVU's San Francisco bureau covering stories from City Hall to Chase Center. When he's not working you're likely to find him riding his bike through Golden Gate Park with his family or on the baseball diamond, trying to keep up with his son.
The latest from Christien Kafton
Super Bowl Experience coming to San Francisco
Super Bowl LX Is still more than a week away, but work is underway to prepare for the big game and the crowds it will draw to San Francisco.
Vigil to honor Grandpa Vicha, as jury revisits case
A vigil is being held Wednesday night in San Francisco for Vicha Ratanapakdee, also known to many as Grandpa Vicha, the 84-year-old man who was shoved to the ground and killed, five years ago. Meanwhile, a jury decided on aggravating factors that could add to the defendant's sentence in the related criminal case.
Mountain lion in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood released to wild
A young male mountain lion was spotted in San Francisco and eluded animal control officers for hours, while simultaneously captivating a human audience – watching online and in person – for more than a day.
Rally for local man to avoid ICE detention
Immigration activists rallied today in San Francisco. Organizers say local issues and immigration enforcement in Minneapolis are all part of a broad pattern of abuse.
Clock runs out: San Francisco Centre to close Monday
The San Francisco Centre will permanently close Monday, nearly 20 years after opening with high expectations as a major downtown shopping destination.
San Francisco welcomes a new chief of police
San Francisco's new chief of police was officially sworn in. The city's leaders say public safety has to be a priority, and that Derrick Lew is the man to lead the department.
PG&E being sued by dozens of San Francisco businesses over power outages
Businesses in San Francisco's Sunset District say they're planning on filing a lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric following the power outages last month. Organizers of the suit say dozens of businesses have signed on so far.
A phone on SF's Valencia Street aims to address the political divide through conversation
A social experiment is underway on the streets of San Francisco, aimed at connecting a country that at times seems so far apart. It all starts with picking up the phone.
San Francisco releases the latest data on overdose deaths
San Francisco says it is making progress on addressing the city's drug crisis, but that there is still a lot of hard work ahead. The Department of Public Health Today released the latest data on overdose deaths in the city. Those numbers show some progress, but also show there is a long way to go.
San Francisco mayor unveils plans to make the city more family-friendly
San Francisco's mayor is taking steps to make the city more family friendly.