Broadcast veteran to run news operations at KNBC. (People).

LIKE that of many journalists, Robert Long's career was launched by an exclusive interview. But his coup--an interview with Fidel Castro--came when he was 14 years old.

The recently appointed vice president and news director for KNBC-TV (Channel 4) was flunking out of the ninth grade and he had to write a paper for extra credit to go on to high school.

A chance meeting in 1960 with one of Castro's bodyguards in Washington led to the meeting and launched a career. "I never wrote the paper, but the article I wrote for my junior high school paper got me a job at Time Magazine," he said.

He did graduate, and while attending Yale University, became a stringer for the newsweekly, moving into the broadcast world as a newswriter for WWDC in Washington after graduating. He has had an ongoing relationship with NBC, most recently as vice president for news and operations at its WRC in the nation's capital.

He also has deep ties to the L.A. market, having served as managing editor at KNBC from 1997 to 1999, executive producer for "The World Report" at KCAL (Channel 9) and managing editor and executive producer at KCOP (Channel 13).

He dispelled the notion that L.A. viewers only want Hollywood news and Washingtonians only want news on capital politics.

"For both, there's a primary industry that people associate with the town, but people have no more interest in entertainment news here in L.A. than anywhere else," said Long, 57. "Every piece of research I've read in 40 years shows that about 8 percent of audiences care about entertainment, no more than in Des Moines or Cleveland."

Long, who starts at KNBC Aug. 18 and replaces Kimberly Godwin--who is leaving the station--has not yet relocated to L.A., is divorced and has a 16-year-old son.