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
Lurie reflects on first year in office as 2025 draws to a close
Mayor Daniel Lurie is touting a transformational year, saying San Francisco has turned the corner and better things await the city in 2026. The mayor said there has been major progress on crime and street conditions, but stressed there's still room to grow.
Roofers create holiday magic for Oakland homeowner
Crews from RK Roofing & Construction are working hard this holiday season to provide a new roof to an Oakland homeowner in need.
SF firefighters get new safety gear without forever chemicals
Firefighters say for far too long they've been quietly betrayed by the very equipment intended to protect them.
Waymo standoff in San Francisco goes viral, company responds
A trio of driverless Waymo cars involved in what's being described as a "standoff" has gone viral on social media.
SFPD enjoys sweet taste of victory after bet with SFFD
The San Francisco Police Department beat the SF Fire Department in a boxing ring and in a bet that led to the fire department cooking for police.
SFUSD getting back on financial track
Leadership at San Francisco Unified School District say they've taken an important step in reclaiming full control of the district's finances going forward.
Inside SFPD's new 'nerve center': The high-tech surveillance tools helping fight crime
The San Francisco Police Department on Wednesday gave an inside look at its new technology center and the tools officers are using to fight crime.
Student shot at San Francisco high school; suspect arrested
A student at a San Francisco high school was shot, and the alleged shooter was arrested Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
New Sunset supervisor, Alan Wong, sworn in
San Francisco's Sunset District once again has a new supervisor.
Man charged, victim identified in deadly San Francisco home invasion
The suspect, Cassidy Wyatt Allen, is facing one count of murder and one count of first-degree residential burglary, with a special circumstance alleging the murder occurred during the burglary.