Raj Mathai

{{short description|American journalist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Raj Mathai | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = March 28 | birth_place = Trivandrum, Kerala, India | disappeared_date =  | disappeared_place = | disappeared_status = | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | monuments = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = San Diego State University<ref name="IndoDesisFill">{{cite news | last =Malhotra| first =Jawahar | title =Desis Fill In San Francisco's TV News Channels | newspaper =Indo American News | date =21 February 2013 | url =http://www.indoamerican-news.com/?p=14695 | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref> | occupation = American television journalist | years_active = | employer = Channel 11, NBC Bay Area | organization = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | height =  | television = | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | criminal_charge =  | criminal_penalty = | criminal_status = | spouse = | partner = | parents = | relatives = T. J. S. George (uncle)<br>Thomas Kailath (uncle)<br> Jeet Thayil (cousin)<br>Abraham Verghese (cousin)<br> | callsign = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | module = | module2 = | module3 = | module4 = | module5 = | module6 = | website =  | footnotes = }}

'''Raj Mathai''' is an American television journalist. He is the primary news anchor at NBC-owned KNTV in the San Francisco Bay Area.<ref name="NBCProfile">{{cite news | title =Raj Mathai Is A Four Time Emmy Winner Who Has Traveled The World For NBC Bay Area | newspaper =NBC Bay Area (KNTV) | url =http://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/about-us/Raj_Mathai.html | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref>

==Career==

Mathai anchors the 6pm, 7pm and 11pm newscasts for NBC Bay Area KNTV<ref name="NBCBayArea">{{cite news | last =Okanes | first =Jonathan | title =NBC Bay Area To Use CSNBA To Provide Content On Nightly Sports Segments | newspaper =The Oakland Tribune | publisher =HighBeam | date =19 April 2011 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-28476685.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140610074152/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-28476685.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =10 June 2014 | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref> and hosts the series ''The Interview.''<ref>{{cite web | title =The Interview With Raj Mathai | publisher =NBC Bay Area (KNTV) | url =http://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/as-seen-on/The-Interview-With-Raj-148776595.html | access-date =6 August 2013}}</ref> The series sets Mathai with newsmakers such as former Vice President Kamala Harris,<ref>{{cite video | people =Raj Mathai & Kamala Harris | title =The Interview: California Attorney General Kamala Harris | medium =Television | publisher =NBC Bay Area (KNTV)| date =3 December 2012 | url =http://www.nbcbayarea.com/The-Interview-California-Attorney-General-Kamala-Harris-181927781.html }}</ref> California Governor Gavin Newsom,<ref>{{cite video | people =Raj Mathai & Gavin Newsom| title =The Interview: Gavin Newsom | medium =Television | publisher =NBC Bay Area (KNTV)| date =8 June 2012 | url =http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/The-Interview-With-Raj-One-on-One-with-Gavin-Newsom-147394705.html}}</ref> and General Colin Powell.<ref>{{cite video | people =Raj Mathai &Colin Powell | title =The Interview: General Colin Powell | medium =Television | publisher =NBC Bay Area (KNTV)| date =31 August 2013 | url =http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/The-Interview-General-Colin-Powell-157973435.html }}</ref> In 2013, Mathai conducted exclusive interviews with John McAfee about his life and his legal troubles.

Mathai field anchors KNTV's breaking news and big event coverage including the 2024 Super Bowl, 2017 Inauguration of Donald Trump, 2017 Las Vegas massacre and the 2016 San Bernardino shootings. He led KNTV's coverage of the 2013 Asiana Airlines crash at San Francisco International Airport. He was on the air for seven consecutive hours and was the first journalist to interview a survivor of the crash.<ref>{{cite video | people =Benjamin Levy, Jon Schuppe, & Raj Mathai | title =Flight 214 Survivor Describes Normal Flight That Went Suddenly Wrong | medium =Television News | publisher =NBC | location =San Francisco, California | date =31 July 2013 | url =http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Flight--214499761.html }}</ref> Mathai is also a moderator for the Commonwealth Club of California and a guest lecturer for the Stanford School of Business. Mathai is a 3-time Olympic torch bearer and has reported on-location from the Olympics in Tokyo, London, Vancouver, Turin, Athens and Salt Lake City.

Prior to his news career, Mathai was a sportscaster for NBC Bay Area (1998–2010). In 1995 he became the first Indian sportscaster for a network affiliate in the United States when he began at KYMA-DT.<ref name="LACrierRotaryClub"/> He worked for NBC affiliates KNSD in San Diego, KYMA-DT in Yuma, AZ, and KSEE in Fresno, CA.<ref name="BTRRajMathaBay">{{cite news |date=14 May 2010 |title=Meet Raj Mathai, Bay Area NBC's Sports Director |newspaper=Blog Talk Radio |url=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2010/05/14/meet-raj-mathai-bay-area-nbcs-sports-director |access-date=6 August 2013}}</ref> He was an Olympic torch bearer in 1996, 2002, and 2008.<ref name="NBCProfile"/> Mathai co-hosted ''Sports Sunday''<ref name="BTRRajMathaBay"/> along with Jerry Rice, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jeff Garcia and Ken Norton Jr.<ref name="MercuryNewsSanJoseAmping">{{cite news | last =Ryan | first =John | title =Amping Up Coverage | newspaper =San Jose Mercury News| publisher =HighBeam | date =7 September 2006 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-151062864.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140610074150/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-151062864.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =10 June 2014 | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref><ref name="SFExaminerAirwaves">{{cite news | last =Staff Report | title =Airwaves: Mathai An Ideal Host For Postgame Show | newspaper =The San Francisco Examiner| date =11 October 2009 | url =http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/airwaves-mathai-an-ideal-host-for-postgame-show/Content?oid=2141759 | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref> He was part of the NBC broadcast team for the San Francisco Giants from 2008–2012 along with Jon Miller and Mike Krukow.<ref name="OTheAir">{{cite news | last =Souri | first =Ranjit | title =In The Dugout and On The Air | newspaper =India Currents | date =2 July 2009 | url =http://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2009/07/02/in-the-dugout-and-on-the-air | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref>

==Awards==

Mathai is a 12-time Emmy Award winner,<ref name="NBCProfile"/> including regional Emmys for Best On-Camera Talent, Breaking News, Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Cultural Program for his coverage of the 2012 London Olympics.<ref>{{cite web| title =NBC Bay Area Leads The Winners At The 42nd Annual Northern CA Emmy Awards| publisher =NBC Universal| date =19 June 2013| url =http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/newsroom/nbc-bay-area-leads-the-winners-at-the-42nd-annual-northern-ca-emmy-awards/| access-date =7 August 2013| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://archive.today/20130813034632/http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/newsroom/nbc-bay-area-leads-the-winners-at-the-42nd-annual-northern-ca-emmy-awards/| archive-date =13 August 2013}}</ref> Mathai was also honored by the California State Legislature in 2024 for his contributions to the AAPI Community.

==Personal life==

Mathai was born in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. He lived in Mumbai until age 7, when he moved Palo Alto, California.<ref name="LACrierRotaryClub">{{cite news | last =Cowan | first =Marlene | title =Raj Mathai: LAHS Grad Shares Secrets To TV Success In LA Rotary Club Talk | newspaper =Los Altos Town Crier | date =24 April 2013 | url =http://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/community/44532-J46079 | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref> He comes from a family of journalists and writers, including his father TJ Mathew who ran magazines in India in the 1970s, and his uncle T. J. S. George, who founded ''Asiaweek''.<ref name="IndianEnterUSA1st">{{cite news | last =Vivek | title =Raj Matha – USA's First Indian Sportscaster Talks About…Well Sports & Some More! | newspaper =Indian Entertainment | date =29 November 2009 | url =http://www.indianentertainment.info/2009/11/29/raj-mathai-%E2%80%93-usa%E2%80%99s-first-indian-sportscaster-talks-about-%E2%80%A6well-sports-some-more.html | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref>

Mathai is the cousin of best-selling authors Abraham Verghese and Jeet Thayil. He is also the nephew of Thomas Kailath, noted Stanford Professor.<ref name="IndianEnterUSA1st"/>

Mathai attended Los Altos High School<ref name="LACrierRotaryClub"/> and San Diego State University where he graduated with a degree in journalism and political science in 1993. Prior to his career as a broadcaster, Mathai was a public relations assistant with the San Diego Chargers.<ref name="OaklandMathaiGetting">{{cite news | last =Del Grande | first =Dave | title =Mathai Getting Ready For Giant Change | newspaper =The Oakland Tribune | publisher =HighBeam | date =6 November 2007 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10193436.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140610060511/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10193436.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =10 June 2014 | access-date =6 August 2013 }}</ref> He was also part of the Super Bowl staff for the National Football League in 1993 and 1994.

Mathai is on the Board of Governors for the San Francisco Symphony and Board Member for the Asian Pacific Fund.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/about-us/Raj_Mathai.html NBC Bay Area Profile of Raj Mathai]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathai, Raj}} Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:American television journalists Category:Writers from Thiruvananthapuram Category:American male journalists Category:American writers of Indian descent Category:American people of Malayali descent Category:Journalists from Palo Alto, California