Rudabeh Shahbazi is an Iranian-American journalist born on June 16, 1980. She is a four-time Emmy Award-winning anchor known for her work at CBS Los Angeles.
Who is Rudabeh Shahbazi?
Rudabeh Shahbazi is an American broadcast journalist of Iranian descent. She currently serves as an evening co-anchor at KCBS-KCAL in Los Angeles. Her newscasts air at 5, 9, and 11 p.m. alongside veteran anchor Pat Harvey.
She built her name through years of field reporting before moving into the anchor chair.
Her work spans breaking news, medical reporting, and coverage of major national events. That range has made her one of Southern California’s most recognized news voices.
Shahbazi has covered stories far beyond Los Angeles. She has reported from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Cuba. Her reach reflects a career built on chasing stories wherever they happen.
Early Life of Rudabeh Shahbazi
Shahbazi grew up in the United States and holds Iranian-American heritage. She has spoken about her multicultural background shaping her interest in journalism from a young age.
Her early years included time in different parts of the country before she settled into her media career. That upbringing exposed her to varied communities early on.
Shahbazi built a strong academic foundation before entering journalism full time. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from Pepperdine University in 2004. That degree gave her the reporting fundamentals she would later rely on in the field.
She then pursued graduate studies. In 2007, she completed a Master of Arts in Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
Her graduate work took her beyond the classroom. She traveled to the Jordan-Iraq border to report on Iraqi refugees for a project featured on PBS Frontline World. That reporting reportedly helped lead to asylum for a civilian who had lost her family in a bombing raid.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Age
Rudabeh Shahbazi is 46 years old as of 2026. She was born on June 16, 1980.
She remains active in daily broadcasting at CBS Los Angeles. Her decades-long career shows no signs of slowing down.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Ethnicity and Nationality
Shahbazi is of Iranian descent and holds American nationality.
She is fluent in both English and Farsi. Her background has often informed her reporting, including coverage connected to Iranian American communities in Los Angeles.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Height and Weight
Rudabeh Shahbazi stands at 5 feet 8 inches, which is equal to 172 cm or 1.72 m, while her exact weight is not revealed.
At this age, she is also well-liked for her natural brown hair and captivating brown eyes, which enhance her personality during reporting.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Career
Shahbazi’s rise in journalism came through years of hands-on local reporting. She worked in small and mid-sized markets before reaching major cities.
Early Career
After graduate school, Shahbazi joined KTVU in the San Francisco Bay Area as a news assistant. She then moved to KEPR-TV in Pasco, Washington as a reporter and multimedia journalist. There, she filmed, edited, and reported her own stories from 2007 to 2009.
She later joined KNXV-TV in Phoenix, Arizona. That role sharpened her skills as a solo video journalist covering daily news.
Major Positions Held
In 2011, Shahbazi joined KABC-TV in Los Angeles as a reporter and fill-in anchor. She covered major stories, including live coverage from the scene of the Tucson shooting. Her reporting there helped establish her national profile.
She then became the lead anchor at WFOR-TV, CBS Miami, for five years. During that time, she anchored continuous coverage of the Pulse nightclub shooting and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport shooting.
She also covered the Parkland school massacre, Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Maria, and the death of Fidel Castro.
Shahbazi later helped launch NewsNation as one of its original anchors and national correspondents.
She covered President Biden’s inauguration, the George Floyd case and its aftermath, and the Surfside condo collapse in Florida.
Current Role
Shahbazi joined KCAL News in Los Angeles in 2022 as a morning anchor. In April 2025, she moved into the evening anchor chair alongside Pat Harvey. That promotion marked a major step forward in her career.
She continues to report on stories that matter to Southern Californians. Her recent work includes coverage of the Maui wildfires and an investigation into contaminated bone graft material.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Awards and Recognition
Shahbazi has built an award-winning body of work over her career. She has won four regional Emmy Awards, including one for her wildfire coverage in Maui.
She has also received multiple Golden Mike Awards. These honored her medical reporting, including an interview conducted with a patient during brain surgery.
Her recognition reflects sustained excellence rather than a single standout moment. Few local news anchors match that level of consistent award recognition.
- Multiple regional Emmy Awards, including one for wildfire coverage
- Multiple Golden Mike Awards for medical and investigative reporting
- Named among Miami’s most influential women by Ocean Drive Magazine in 2016
Rudabeh Shahbazi Husband
Shahbazi keeps her personal relationships out of the public eye. She has not publicly confirmed a husband, partner, or children.
That privacy appears to be a deliberate choice. Many journalists in her position choose to separate their public and personal identities.
As a result, her relationship status remains undisclosed. She has instead let her reporting and on-air work speak for her public identity.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Net Worth
Rudabeh Shahbazi’s exact net worth has not been publicly disclosed.
Her income comes primarily from her role as an evening anchor at CBS Los Angeles. Additional earnings likely come from her years at NewsNation, CBS Miami, and other major stations.
Broadcast anchors in major markets like Los Angeles typically earn substantial salaries. Shahbazi’s four-time Emmy-winning career and two decades in the industry suggest a well-established income base.
Her career trajectory continues to move upward. As she takes on higher-profile anchor roles, her earning potential is likely to grow further.
Rudabeh Shahbazi Social Media
Shahbazi stays active across major social platforms, where she shares her reporting and personal updates. Her Instagram account has more than 11,000 followers.
She also posts regularly on X, formerly known as Twitter, where she has built a following of more than 6,600 people. Her posts there often highlight breaking news and behind-the-scenes moments from CBS Los Angeles.
Fans looking for updates on her latest reporting can follow her directly. Her social accounts remain the most reliable source for her current work and appearances.
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The Bottom Line
Rudabeh Shahbazi has built a respected career across some of the biggest news markets in America.
From Miami to Chicago to Los Angeles, her reporting has covered some of the defining stories of the past decade.
Her four Emmy Awards reflect a career built on consistency and dedication.
We hope you enjoyed reading about Rudabeh Shahbazi. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
