Kopi has been part of Fresno TV for more than 50 years. He’s now being honored for his work

There is at least one generation of TV viewers, probably two, who never knew a time when Kopi Sotiropulos wasn’t on TV in Fresno.

The Greek-born Fresno High School and San Francisco State graduate was hired by KMPH just out of college in 1971. He went to work the same month the station first went on air and worked at the station for a decade before leaving to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.

He returned to the station a decade later and became its signature personality.

Everyone knows Kopi, by name, yes, but also likely by his face and dress — loud ties or Hawaiian shirts and always the colorful shoes. In 2017, he was included on a Ranker.com list of Famous Meteorologists, despite the fact he isn’t technically a meteorologist.

He has been doing weather duties at the station since 1992 and created his own take on the “exclusive 10-day forecast.”

In November, Sotiropulos will be honored for his years of TV news service in the Fresno market.

The San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced it will induct Sotiropulos into the 2022 class of its Gold Circle society at a luncheon in November. Membership in the Gold Circle is for those who “have been actively engaged in television broadcasting for 50 years or more,” and “made a significant contribution to their local television markets and distinguished themselves within the industry and the community.”

So, check and check for Sotiropulos.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is a professional association that represents television professionals from across the industry. It’s best known for handing out the annual Emmy Awards. The SF NorCal chapter represents TV markets in Northern California and the Bay Area, along with Honolulu, Reno and Guam.

Sotiropulos is one of two newscasters being inducted into this year’s Golden Circle class. The other is Spencer Christian, who did weather for ABC’s Good Morning America before becoming a meteorologist for KGO ABC 7 in San Francisco.

Those looking to go down a Kopi rabbit hole should do a Google search or check out the actor’s IMDB page. It’s an impressively long list of work that includes spots on just about any classic ‘80s TV show you could think of —“The Incredible Hulk,” “Three’s Company,” “Knight Rider” and “The Fall Guy”— as well movies like “American Gigolo,” “Private Benjamin,” “Beverly Hills Cop II” and the 1982 action film “The Junkman.”