The vast majority of WFAN programming that originates in studio makes listeners' calls an important facet of the broadcast. As a testament to this, Joe Benigno - a former caller himself - ends all of his shows with "I want to thank all the callers, great job as always; I couldn't do it without you." There are a number of callers who have earned a reputation over the years and become as familiar to listeners as the hosts themselves.
John from Sandy Hook
One of the most endearing and knowledgeable callers, especially with boxing insights and old classic baseball. Listeners called in condolences on learning of his death.
Bruce in Bayside
A retired high school history teacher, and Cleveland Indians fan, Bruce frequently calls in with trivia and other historical background on the topic at hand. He often tries to impress with his one-liners at the beginning of his calls, with limited success. Bruce can be heard in the opening sequence of the film Bad Lieutenant in a snippet of Christopher Russo's show that was used in the film.
Bruce from Flushing
Bruce is lifetime Yankee fan and was a long time caller of Joe Beningo in the overnights and Howie Rose in prime-time. Recently married, Bruce has taken a short hiatus from his daily calls to the FAN. He is still one of the most popular and knowledgeable callers, and both Marc Malusis and Rich Ackerman list Bruce as their favorite caller. Bruce claims that he was on hold, but never made it to the air, for WFAN's first show.
Bill from Brentwood
Arugably the most popular and knowledgeable caller to WFAN is Bill from Brentwood, more popularly known as "Bill the Baker", who has an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball, along with an unmatched ability to recall not only specific baseball moments in the past 50+ years, but the exact dates that those games were played. Although Bill calls the FAN (particularly Steve Somers, who jokes that he is his co-host) on an almost daily basis, Steve - along with his listeners - is so constantly in awe and impressed with Bill's baseball intellect that he often jokes that Bill "has to be looking at a book".
Jerome from Manhattan
Another cherished caller is Jerome Mittelman, widely known as "Jerome from Manhattan." A die-hard Yankees and Knicks fan, Jerome is famous for his on-air take-no-prisoners blistering rants and raves, as well as his unique take on the English language. One of his favorite exclamatory phrases is "frickin' frack!" He refers to the bullpen as the "ballpen", and once shouted that the Yankees are "....done! D-O-E-N , DONE!" His relationship status is intriguing enough for Steve Somers to once give Jerome $60 to take a lady out on a date, only for Jerome to keep the money and not go out on the date. Former host Sid Rosenberg once asked Jerome if he was upset that he was not taking his eagerly anticipated trip "....to Colorado?", and Jerome replied, "No, to Denver." He does "....not like jets. They make seasick." Unfortunately, Mr. Mittelman's health problems have kept him from the WFAN airwaves on his usual daily basis since late 2004, although he did call on March 31, 2005 to appease his fans; he is under doctor's orders to refrain from calling because his hyperactive on-air demeanor may further complicate his health problems. He recently called in on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007, when he called Steve Somers to talk about Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte's future with the team. Jerome had recently been hospitalized and when asked to describe his treatment in the hospital, he replied "crummy." Jerome called Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts from his hospital room on November, 8th 2007. Amongst other things, he complained about Brian Cashman not moving fast enough to resign Jorge Posada. He has been in the hospital for the past two weeks because of complications from seizures. His latest call in was just after 4 PM on Saturday November, 17th 2007 when he called Steve Somers.
Doris from Rego Park
Doris Bauer , more affectionately known as "Doris from Rego Park", was a die-hard fan of the New York Mets, and was loved by many WFAN listeners. Her knowledge of the Mets and baseball as a whole approached that of Bill the Baker, and she called the station almost daily since its first night on-air. Doris suffered from neurofibromatosis, and at least three different cancers; nevertheless, she kept the Mets and WFAN close to her heart until her premature passing at age 58.
Eli from Westchester
"Eli from Westchester" was another famous repeat caller. Citing racism as the underlying factor behind any number of sports happenings, he was occasionally banned from calling for periods of time. One of the most famous times he was banned was by former mid-day host Russ Salzberg. Eli claimed to be an ex college football player and know several pro stars. His shining moment was not on WFAN however, where he performed miserably during an on air tryout for the job which would eventually be Joe Benigno's. As a late night caller to the Lionel show on WABC, Eli fell asleep while waiting to go on air. Listneers were treated to a minute's worth of "Ellie"'s, as Lionel called him, snoring. Rumors were that this is Eli Strand from Tuckahoe NY, his college football was played at Iowa State and spent 2 years in the NFL, the last with the New Orleans Saints.
Jerry from Queens
"Jerry from Queens", aka Jerry Seinfeld, has called the station at many times over the years. An avid Mets and Steve Somers fan, Seinfeld has even appeared in-studio twice along with the Schmoozer.
Joseph Abboud
Joseph Abboud, a noted clothing designer, has been a regular caller to the midday show to muse about his beloved Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees' sworn rival.
Marc in the Bronx
Marc is known for calling usually during late nights, and mostly talks NFL Football. He is a die hard fan of the Denver Broncos, and is known for his angry rants about their performance after a loss.
Miriam from Forest Hills
Miriam is a blind New York Islanders and New York Mets fan from Queens. The first Islanders game Miriam ever attended became the topic of a Rick Reilly column in Sports Illustrated.
Kelsey from Summit, NJ
A bumbling caller who only calls into the FAN in the middle of the night to complain about the Mets. He is always noticeably intoxicated.
Chris from Middletown, NY
Chris was a frequent caller to WFAN in the early 2000s to the Midday and Overnight shows. Chris was a rabid Mets fan who occasionally got into verbal spats with Midday host Jody MacDonald over many topics, usually lamenting about former Mets' manager Art Howe. He was also the station's resident Lakers fan, taking offense to Steve Somers when he referred to them as "the Fakers".
Tommy from Brooklyn
Tommy was a frequent caller to WFAN in the early 1990s. He was known for his passion for hockey. He was a caller to Christopher Russo and would frequently assist Russo with hockey issues. Tommy is best known for his passion for not wanting Russian players to play in the NHL.
Short Al from Brooklyn
Knowledgeable old time Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Mets Fan. A longtime favorite caller of overnight hosts.
Vinny from Queens
Vinny was a frequent caller to WFAN in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Vinny was a passionate Yankee fan and a popular caller among the hosts. Vinny died in 1996 in a car accident.
Ira from Staten Island
Ira is currently a frequent caller to WFAN. He is well known for being a knowledgable and passionate fan of the New York Jets. He is also well known for being a blatant homer and apologist for the Jets organization.
Val in Brooklyn
Val is an older male who speaks with a noticable stutter. He often brags about his female friends, notably his chauffeur named Sandra in the summer of 2007.
John from Sandy Hook
One of the most endearing and knowledgeable callers, especially with boxing insights and old classic baseball. Listeners called in condolences on learning of his death.
Bruce in Bayside
A retired high school history teacher, and Cleveland Indians fan, Bruce frequently calls in with trivia and other historical background on the topic at hand. He often tries to impress with his one-liners at the beginning of his calls, with limited success. Bruce can be heard in the opening sequence of the film Bad Lieutenant in a snippet of Christopher Russo's show that was used in the film.
Bruce from Flushing
Bruce is lifetime Yankee fan and was a long time caller of Joe Beningo in the overnights and Howie Rose in prime-time. Recently married, Bruce has taken a short hiatus from his daily calls to the FAN. He is still one of the most popular and knowledgeable callers, and both Marc Malusis and Rich Ackerman list Bruce as their favorite caller. Bruce claims that he was on hold, but never made it to the air, for WFAN's first show.
Bill from Brentwood
Arugably the most popular and knowledgeable caller to WFAN is Bill from Brentwood, more popularly known as "Bill the Baker", who has an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball, along with an unmatched ability to recall not only specific baseball moments in the past 50+ years, but the exact dates that those games were played. Although Bill calls the FAN (particularly Steve Somers, who jokes that he is his co-host) on an almost daily basis, Steve - along with his listeners - is so constantly in awe and impressed with Bill's baseball intellect that he often jokes that Bill "has to be looking at a book".
Jerome from Manhattan
Another cherished caller is Jerome Mittelman, widely known as "Jerome from Manhattan." A die-hard Yankees and Knicks fan, Jerome is famous for his on-air take-no-prisoners blistering rants and raves, as well as his unique take on the English language. One of his favorite exclamatory phrases is "frickin' frack!" He refers to the bullpen as the "ballpen", and once shouted that the Yankees are "....done! D-O-E-N , DONE!" His relationship status is intriguing enough for Steve Somers to once give Jerome $60 to take a lady out on a date, only for Jerome to keep the money and not go out on the date. Former host Sid Rosenberg once asked Jerome if he was upset that he was not taking his eagerly anticipated trip "....to Colorado?", and Jerome replied, "No, to Denver." He does "....not like jets. They make seasick." Unfortunately, Mr. Mittelman's health problems have kept him from the WFAN airwaves on his usual daily basis since late 2004, although he did call on March 31, 2005 to appease his fans; he is under doctor's orders to refrain from calling because his hyperactive on-air demeanor may further complicate his health problems. He recently called in on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007, when he called Steve Somers to talk about Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte's future with the team. Jerome had recently been hospitalized and when asked to describe his treatment in the hospital, he replied "crummy." Jerome called Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts from his hospital room on November, 8th 2007. Amongst other things, he complained about Brian Cashman not moving fast enough to resign Jorge Posada. He has been in the hospital for the past two weeks because of complications from seizures. His latest call in was just after 4 PM on Saturday November, 17th 2007 when he called Steve Somers.
Doris from Rego Park
Doris Bauer , more affectionately known as "Doris from Rego Park", was a die-hard fan of the New York Mets, and was loved by many WFAN listeners. Her knowledge of the Mets and baseball as a whole approached that of Bill the Baker, and she called the station almost daily since its first night on-air. Doris suffered from neurofibromatosis, and at least three different cancers; nevertheless, she kept the Mets and WFAN close to her heart until her premature passing at age 58.
Eli from Westchester
"Eli from Westchester" was another famous repeat caller. Citing racism as the underlying factor behind any number of sports happenings, he was occasionally banned from calling for periods of time. One of the most famous times he was banned was by former mid-day host Russ Salzberg. Eli claimed to be an ex college football player and know several pro stars. His shining moment was not on WFAN however, where he performed miserably during an on air tryout for the job which would eventually be Joe Benigno's. As a late night caller to the Lionel show on WABC, Eli fell asleep while waiting to go on air. Listneers were treated to a minute's worth of "Ellie"'s, as Lionel called him, snoring. Rumors were that this is Eli Strand from Tuckahoe NY, his college football was played at Iowa State and spent 2 years in the NFL, the last with the New Orleans Saints.
Jerry from Queens
"Jerry from Queens", aka Jerry Seinfeld, has called the station at many times over the years. An avid Mets and Steve Somers fan, Seinfeld has even appeared in-studio twice along with the Schmoozer.
Joseph Abboud
Joseph Abboud, a noted clothing designer, has been a regular caller to the midday show to muse about his beloved Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees' sworn rival.
Marc in the Bronx
Marc is known for calling usually during late nights, and mostly talks NFL Football. He is a die hard fan of the Denver Broncos, and is known for his angry rants about their performance after a loss.
Miriam from Forest Hills
Miriam is a blind New York Islanders and New York Mets fan from Queens. The first Islanders game Miriam ever attended became the topic of a Rick Reilly column in Sports Illustrated.
Kelsey from Summit, NJ
A bumbling caller who only calls into the FAN in the middle of the night to complain about the Mets. He is always noticeably intoxicated.
Chris from Middletown, NY
Chris was a frequent caller to WFAN in the early 2000s to the Midday and Overnight shows. Chris was a rabid Mets fan who occasionally got into verbal spats with Midday host Jody MacDonald over many topics, usually lamenting about former Mets' manager Art Howe. He was also the station's resident Lakers fan, taking offense to Steve Somers when he referred to them as "the Fakers".
Tommy from Brooklyn
Tommy was a frequent caller to WFAN in the early 1990s. He was known for his passion for hockey. He was a caller to Christopher Russo and would frequently assist Russo with hockey issues. Tommy is best known for his passion for not wanting Russian players to play in the NHL.
Short Al from Brooklyn
Knowledgeable old time Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Mets Fan. A longtime favorite caller of overnight hosts.
Vinny from Queens
Vinny was a frequent caller to WFAN in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Vinny was a passionate Yankee fan and a popular caller among the hosts. Vinny died in 1996 in a car accident.
Ira from Staten Island
Ira is currently a frequent caller to WFAN. He is well known for being a knowledgable and passionate fan of the New York Jets. He is also well known for being a blatant homer and apologist for the Jets organization.
Val in Brooklyn
Val is an older male who speaks with a noticable stutter. He often brags about his female friends, notably his chauffeur named Sandra in the summer of 2007.
This is a list of television news anchors from the ABC owned WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Anchors
Sarah Bloomquist
Sarah Bloomquist has been with WPVI since 2002 and is currently the noon co-anchor/reporter. She joined WPVI as a general assignment reporter. She was promoted to the anchor position in 2005, but would return to the field as a reporter later that year. In September 2005, she filed reports on Hurricane Rita from Texas.
She came to Philadelphia and WPVI-TV's Action News in August 2002. Since then, she's covered many major stories for Channel 6, including reporting live from Maryland during the sniper scare, and following the Philadelphia Eagles and their faithful fans during the 2002-2003 run for the Super Bowl.
Sarah came to Channel 6 from WTVG, the ABC-owned station in Toledo, Ohio, where she was a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter. In 2002, Sarah was awarded First Place in the Spot News Category from the Associated Press of Ohio for her coverage from New York of the September 11 attacks.
Tamala Edwards
Tamala Edwards joined WPVI in 2005 and is currently the morning co-anchor. She joined WPVI from ABC News where she served as anchor of ABC World News Now. She had also served as a White House Correspondent for World News Tonight.
Jim Gardner
Jim Gardner (born May 17, 1948). On June 1 1976 he became a reporter and noon anchor of WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, joining the station from WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. In November 1976, he became the anchor of the 5:30 p.m. broadcast. On May 11, 1977, Gardner assumed his current position of anchorman of Action News at 6pm and 11pm Monday-Friday taking over the daily newscasts anchored previously by Larry Kane.
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia selected Gardner as "Person of the Year" in 1996 and inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2003.
Rob Jennings
Rob Jennings has been with WPVI for over 25 years, serving mainly as anchor of the weekend 6 & 11pm newscasts. For sixteen years, Rob was the producer-reporter for Crimefighters series that aired on Action News. For portions of the late 1980s and early 1990s, he also did weather forecasts for the station.
Lisa Thomas-Laury
Lisa Thomas-Laury started at Action News on February 20, 1978 as noon co-anchor and reporter. She was promoted to the 5 p.m. newscast in 1983. While she was at the station, she frequently substituted for Jim Gardner. She also has done the monthly Fast Forward, series, now hosted by Rick Williams, a show geared for teenagers. In 2002, she began to experience health problems. Her first symptoms were tingling in her feet in which she assumed was from too much power walking. Her problem was initially misdiagnosed. She eventually learned that she was suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a rare nervous disorder accompanied with neuropathy (very uncommon in non-diabetics), which coincidentally was the same disorder later suffered by retired Philadelphia 76ers forward Todd MacCulloch. She went on medical leave from Action News for almost a year and returned to work on September 11,2003. She was scheduled to return to hosting the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, which she had missed hosting the previous year. Unfortunately her health problems returned, causing her to miss the parade and return to medical leave. In May 2004, Jim Gardner announced on the air that Lisa Thomas-Laury would be permanently leaving her anchor duties (but not leaving WPVI itself, as Gardner said that the door would be open for her to return when her health permitted) in order to have more time to focus on her recovery. As of today, her health has returned to normal and she made a special guest appearance at the 2005 Thanksgiving Day parade. Lisa Thomas-Laury, an African-American, is one of the first minority women to anchor in a major metropolitan market, a group that currently includes Beverly Williams, fellow WPVI anchor Tamala Edwards, WCAU-TV anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah and KYW-TV anchor Alycia Lane.
It was announced on the November 22, 2006 11 p.m. news broadcast that Lisa will be returning to the air waves. Lisa was shown in a special Christmas segment and told the viewers that she is now back and joked that she would have to learn the new technology introduced since her departure. She returned to Action News on January 2, 2007 with a report on the opening of Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa.
Currently, Lisa now does special reports for Action News at 5 & 11 and fills in on the evening newscasts when one of the anchors are absent.
Monica Malpass
Monica Malpass has been with WPVI since 1988 and is currently the 5 p.m. Action News co-anchor. She joined the station as the anchor of their Good Morning America local cut-ins. Then she began anchoring the station's new half hour broadcast preceding Good Morning America. She was the first anchor of WPVI's morning newscast. She was morning and noon anchor for over a decade. In 2003, Malpass and Rick Williams were named permanent replacements on the 5 p.m. newscast for longtime anchors Marc Howard (who left to become the new 4 p.m. anchor for KYW-TV's Eyewitness News) and Lisa Thomas-Laury (who left due to health problems). In 2003, the Philadelphia Daily News reported, in a 5-page special report, on the bitter divorce between Malpass and ex-husband David Cutler, a multi-millionare real estate developer. The divorce proceedings alleged that their child was conceived when was Malpass had a tryst with another man from South Carolina, a story Malpass denied, even stating that she has DNA evidence stating that Cutler was the child's father. Malpass was subsequently engaged to Stephen Thorne after dating for 4 months. Thorne bought Malpass a 5.06 carat (1.01 g) solitaire engagement ring. Thorne broke off the engagement after 21 days. Apparently Malpass wanted more children, and he did not. Malpass refused to return the ring, worth $100,000, and is being sued by Thorne for its return.
Matt O'Donnell
Matt O'Donnell (born May 31, 1972) joined WPVI in 1996 as a General Assignment Reporter. In 2004, he was promoted to the morning anchor position with Sarah Bloomquist and now currently anchors the morning newscast with Tamala Edwards, who joined the news team in 2005
Walter Perez
Walter Perez is the weekend morning co-anchor and a weekday reporter for the Lehigh Valley Bureau. Walter joined WPVI in September 2003 from WNBC.
Rick Williams
Rick Williams has been with WPVI since 1988 and is currently the Noon and 5 p.m. co-anchor. He was originally a reporter with the station. He was promoted to morning anchor in 1991 when the morning news was expanded to an hour. He also added the noon newscast to his duties in 1994. He spent over a decade anchoring the morning news. In 2003, Rick Williams and Monica Malpass were named permanent replacements for Marc Howard and Lisa Thomas-Laury on the 5 p.m. news. Williams is well-known in the Philadelphia area for making bad puns on-air.
Williams also reports for the "Crime Fighters" series about unsolved crimes taking over the position from Rob Jennings.
Weather
Erica Grow
Erica Grow is weekend morning meteorologist for Action News and the Sunday edition of Action News at Noon. Grow joined Channel 6 in January 2007 from WHP-TV.
Adam Joseph
Adam Joseph came to WPVI in April 2005. Adam is currently the weekend evening meteorologist. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Lyndon State College in 2000. He also holds the American Meteorological Society seal of approval. In addition to his forecasting duties he contributes "Science Notebook" reports on Action News and "Adam's Adventures", which mainly consist of outdoor activities at the New Jersey seashore.
David Murphy
David Murphy has been with WPVI since 1990 and is currently part of "Double team AccuWeather" along with Karen Rogers and is the noon meteorologist. He holds American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association seals of approval. He began as a general assignment reporter, and then eventually moved to weather.
Dave Roberts
Dave Roberts is the stage name of David Thomas Boreanaz (born February 14 1936). Since 1983 he has been the weatherman for WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the father of actor David Patrick Boreanaz.
In 1978 Roberts joined WPVI-TV in Philadelphia as a co-host for the morning television show AM/Philadelphia. To avoid possible confusion with Lisa Thomas-Laury, he changed his stage name from David Thomas to Dave Roberts. After the death of Jim O'Brien in 1983, began reporting the weather for WPVI's Action News, a position he still maintains as of 2007. In 1993 Roberts became a recipient of the National Weather Association's "Weathercaster Seal of Approval". In 2000, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneer's Hall of Fame as well as selected Person of the Year by the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Association. The following year he was inducted into the Buffalo New York Broadcasters' Hall of Fame.
Karen Rogers
Karen Rogers has been with WPVI since 1996 and is currently the morning traffic reporter and part of the "Double Team AccuWeather" with David Murphy. She joined the station as a reporter for AM Philadelphia. When it was cancelled, she served in the same capacity for Philly After Midnight. After that was cancelled, she became the weekend morning weatherperson. In 2005, she received her current assignment, having temporarily also provided traffic reports for the 5 p.m. broadcast in addition to the morning. Karen also provides reports for the ABC 6 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Sunoco Welcome America Festivities on the 4th of July. Karen co-hosts Philly on Wheels with Cecily Tynan and also co hosts the Philadelphia Flower Show with the rest of 6ABC Accuweather Team.
Cecily Tynan
Cecily Tynan has been with WPVI since 1995 and is currently the 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. meteorologist and co-hosts with Gary Papa the Saturday evening public affairs program Primetime Weekend. She holds American Meteorological Society television seal number 1099 . She started out as a weekend meteorologist and general assignment reporter. Then she became the weekday morning meteorologist. When Dave Roberts cut back his duties in 2003, she assumed her current position. After a divorce from her first husband, she remarried and gave birth to a baby boy named Luke on January 20, 2006. She gave birth to her second child, daughter Emma Grace, on September 17, 2007. Tynan is also an accomplished long-distance runner and frequently runs marathons. Tynan is also a co-host of several locally produced specials, including: the ABC 6 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 4th of July Parade, Philly on Wheels, and the Flower Show.
Sports
Jamie Apody
Jamie Apody (born April 7, 1978) joined WPVI on January 17, 2006 as a sports reporter/anchor. Apody is a 2nd degree black belt in karate and she loves to play basketball. Apody was the sports director at KDBC in El Paso, Texas prior to migrating to WPVI. While in El Paso, Apody covered several sports stories of local interest, including many high school games and special interest sports stories including that involving the Miracle League of El Paso.
In March 2006, Apody received the Associated Press Award for Best Sports Story in Texas and Best Sports Story in New Mexico. Apody received the award following her segment on the Miracle League of El Paso.
Gary Papa
Sports director Gary Papa (born September 2, 1954 in Buffalo, New York) has been with WPVI since 1981 and is currently the 6 p.m., and 11 p.m sportcaster. He joined the station as a weekend sportcaster and was promoted to the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts in 1991. In June 2005, he added the 5:30 p.m. newscast to his duties on an interim basis until Jamie Apody joined in January 2007. Gary Papa currently co-hosts with Cecily Tynan the Saturday evening public affairs show Primetime Weekend. He has hosted the program since 1983 when he took over after the sudden death of . In April 2004, he revealed to viewers that he had been receiving treatment for prostate cancer and lost his hair as a result. He continued to work while receiving chemotherapy and became emotional on-air several times while discussing the matter. He is currently receiving treatment for a recurrence of his cancer.
Keith Russell
Philadelphia native Keith Russell is the weekend Sports Anchor and weekday fill-in. Keith joined WPVI in August 2005 joining the station from ESPN, which is also owned by Disney. Prior to working for ESPN, he was with WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island.
Footnotes
6abc.com
Anchors
Sarah Bloomquist
Sarah Bloomquist has been with WPVI since 2002 and is currently the noon co-anchor/reporter. She joined WPVI as a general assignment reporter. She was promoted to the anchor position in 2005, but would return to the field as a reporter later that year. In September 2005, she filed reports on Hurricane Rita from Texas.
She came to Philadelphia and WPVI-TV's Action News in August 2002. Since then, she's covered many major stories for Channel 6, including reporting live from Maryland during the sniper scare, and following the Philadelphia Eagles and their faithful fans during the 2002-2003 run for the Super Bowl.
Sarah came to Channel 6 from WTVG, the ABC-owned station in Toledo, Ohio, where she was a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter. In 2002, Sarah was awarded First Place in the Spot News Category from the Associated Press of Ohio for her coverage from New York of the September 11 attacks.
Tamala Edwards
Tamala Edwards joined WPVI in 2005 and is currently the morning co-anchor. She joined WPVI from ABC News where she served as anchor of ABC World News Now. She had also served as a White House Correspondent for World News Tonight.
Jim Gardner
Jim Gardner (born May 17, 1948). On June 1 1976 he became a reporter and noon anchor of WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, joining the station from WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. In November 1976, he became the anchor of the 5:30 p.m. broadcast. On May 11, 1977, Gardner assumed his current position of anchorman of Action News at 6pm and 11pm Monday-Friday taking over the daily newscasts anchored previously by Larry Kane.
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia selected Gardner as "Person of the Year" in 1996 and inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2003.
Rob Jennings
Rob Jennings has been with WPVI for over 25 years, serving mainly as anchor of the weekend 6 & 11pm newscasts. For sixteen years, Rob was the producer-reporter for Crimefighters series that aired on Action News. For portions of the late 1980s and early 1990s, he also did weather forecasts for the station.
Lisa Thomas-Laury
Lisa Thomas-Laury started at Action News on February 20, 1978 as noon co-anchor and reporter. She was promoted to the 5 p.m. newscast in 1983. While she was at the station, she frequently substituted for Jim Gardner. She also has done the monthly Fast Forward, series, now hosted by Rick Williams, a show geared for teenagers. In 2002, she began to experience health problems. Her first symptoms were tingling in her feet in which she assumed was from too much power walking. Her problem was initially misdiagnosed. She eventually learned that she was suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a rare nervous disorder accompanied with neuropathy (very uncommon in non-diabetics), which coincidentally was the same disorder later suffered by retired Philadelphia 76ers forward Todd MacCulloch. She went on medical leave from Action News for almost a year and returned to work on September 11,2003. She was scheduled to return to hosting the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, which she had missed hosting the previous year. Unfortunately her health problems returned, causing her to miss the parade and return to medical leave. In May 2004, Jim Gardner announced on the air that Lisa Thomas-Laury would be permanently leaving her anchor duties (but not leaving WPVI itself, as Gardner said that the door would be open for her to return when her health permitted) in order to have more time to focus on her recovery. As of today, her health has returned to normal and she made a special guest appearance at the 2005 Thanksgiving Day parade. Lisa Thomas-Laury, an African-American, is one of the first minority women to anchor in a major metropolitan market, a group that currently includes Beverly Williams, fellow WPVI anchor Tamala Edwards, WCAU-TV anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah and KYW-TV anchor Alycia Lane.
It was announced on the November 22, 2006 11 p.m. news broadcast that Lisa will be returning to the air waves. Lisa was shown in a special Christmas segment and told the viewers that she is now back and joked that she would have to learn the new technology introduced since her departure. She returned to Action News on January 2, 2007 with a report on the opening of Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa.
Currently, Lisa now does special reports for Action News at 5 & 11 and fills in on the evening newscasts when one of the anchors are absent.
Monica Malpass
Monica Malpass has been with WPVI since 1988 and is currently the 5 p.m. Action News co-anchor. She joined the station as the anchor of their Good Morning America local cut-ins. Then she began anchoring the station's new half hour broadcast preceding Good Morning America. She was the first anchor of WPVI's morning newscast. She was morning and noon anchor for over a decade. In 2003, Malpass and Rick Williams were named permanent replacements on the 5 p.m. newscast for longtime anchors Marc Howard (who left to become the new 4 p.m. anchor for KYW-TV's Eyewitness News) and Lisa Thomas-Laury (who left due to health problems). In 2003, the Philadelphia Daily News reported, in a 5-page special report, on the bitter divorce between Malpass and ex-husband David Cutler, a multi-millionare real estate developer. The divorce proceedings alleged that their child was conceived when was Malpass had a tryst with another man from South Carolina, a story Malpass denied, even stating that she has DNA evidence stating that Cutler was the child's father. Malpass was subsequently engaged to Stephen Thorne after dating for 4 months. Thorne bought Malpass a 5.06 carat (1.01 g) solitaire engagement ring. Thorne broke off the engagement after 21 days. Apparently Malpass wanted more children, and he did not. Malpass refused to return the ring, worth $100,000, and is being sued by Thorne for its return.
Matt O'Donnell
Matt O'Donnell (born May 31, 1972) joined WPVI in 1996 as a General Assignment Reporter. In 2004, he was promoted to the morning anchor position with Sarah Bloomquist and now currently anchors the morning newscast with Tamala Edwards, who joined the news team in 2005
Walter Perez
Walter Perez is the weekend morning co-anchor and a weekday reporter for the Lehigh Valley Bureau. Walter joined WPVI in September 2003 from WNBC.
Rick Williams
Rick Williams has been with WPVI since 1988 and is currently the Noon and 5 p.m. co-anchor. He was originally a reporter with the station. He was promoted to morning anchor in 1991 when the morning news was expanded to an hour. He also added the noon newscast to his duties in 1994. He spent over a decade anchoring the morning news. In 2003, Rick Williams and Monica Malpass were named permanent replacements for Marc Howard and Lisa Thomas-Laury on the 5 p.m. news. Williams is well-known in the Philadelphia area for making bad puns on-air.
Williams also reports for the "Crime Fighters" series about unsolved crimes taking over the position from Rob Jennings.
Weather
Erica Grow
Erica Grow is weekend morning meteorologist for Action News and the Sunday edition of Action News at Noon. Grow joined Channel 6 in January 2007 from WHP-TV.
Adam Joseph
Adam Joseph came to WPVI in April 2005. Adam is currently the weekend evening meteorologist. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Lyndon State College in 2000. He also holds the American Meteorological Society seal of approval. In addition to his forecasting duties he contributes "Science Notebook" reports on Action News and "Adam's Adventures", which mainly consist of outdoor activities at the New Jersey seashore.
David Murphy
David Murphy has been with WPVI since 1990 and is currently part of "Double team AccuWeather" along with Karen Rogers and is the noon meteorologist. He holds American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association seals of approval. He began as a general assignment reporter, and then eventually moved to weather.
Dave Roberts
Dave Roberts is the stage name of David Thomas Boreanaz (born February 14 1936). Since 1983 he has been the weatherman for WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the father of actor David Patrick Boreanaz.
In 1978 Roberts joined WPVI-TV in Philadelphia as a co-host for the morning television show AM/Philadelphia. To avoid possible confusion with Lisa Thomas-Laury, he changed his stage name from David Thomas to Dave Roberts. After the death of Jim O'Brien in 1983, began reporting the weather for WPVI's Action News, a position he still maintains as of 2007. In 1993 Roberts became a recipient of the National Weather Association's "Weathercaster Seal of Approval". In 2000, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneer's Hall of Fame as well as selected Person of the Year by the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Association. The following year he was inducted into the Buffalo New York Broadcasters' Hall of Fame.
Karen Rogers
Karen Rogers has been with WPVI since 1996 and is currently the morning traffic reporter and part of the "Double Team AccuWeather" with David Murphy. She joined the station as a reporter for AM Philadelphia. When it was cancelled, she served in the same capacity for Philly After Midnight. After that was cancelled, she became the weekend morning weatherperson. In 2005, she received her current assignment, having temporarily also provided traffic reports for the 5 p.m. broadcast in addition to the morning. Karen also provides reports for the ABC 6 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Sunoco Welcome America Festivities on the 4th of July. Karen co-hosts Philly on Wheels with Cecily Tynan and also co hosts the Philadelphia Flower Show with the rest of 6ABC Accuweather Team.
Cecily Tynan
Cecily Tynan has been with WPVI since 1995 and is currently the 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. meteorologist and co-hosts with Gary Papa the Saturday evening public affairs program Primetime Weekend. She holds American Meteorological Society television seal number 1099 . She started out as a weekend meteorologist and general assignment reporter. Then she became the weekday morning meteorologist. When Dave Roberts cut back his duties in 2003, she assumed her current position. After a divorce from her first husband, she remarried and gave birth to a baby boy named Luke on January 20, 2006. She gave birth to her second child, daughter Emma Grace, on September 17, 2007. Tynan is also an accomplished long-distance runner and frequently runs marathons. Tynan is also a co-host of several locally produced specials, including: the ABC 6 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 4th of July Parade, Philly on Wheels, and the Flower Show.
Sports
Jamie Apody
Jamie Apody (born April 7, 1978) joined WPVI on January 17, 2006 as a sports reporter/anchor. Apody is a 2nd degree black belt in karate and she loves to play basketball. Apody was the sports director at KDBC in El Paso, Texas prior to migrating to WPVI. While in El Paso, Apody covered several sports stories of local interest, including many high school games and special interest sports stories including that involving the Miracle League of El Paso.
In March 2006, Apody received the Associated Press Award for Best Sports Story in Texas and Best Sports Story in New Mexico. Apody received the award following her segment on the Miracle League of El Paso.
Gary Papa
Sports director Gary Papa (born September 2, 1954 in Buffalo, New York) has been with WPVI since 1981 and is currently the 6 p.m., and 11 p.m sportcaster. He joined the station as a weekend sportcaster and was promoted to the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts in 1991. In June 2005, he added the 5:30 p.m. newscast to his duties on an interim basis until Jamie Apody joined in January 2007. Gary Papa currently co-hosts with Cecily Tynan the Saturday evening public affairs show Primetime Weekend. He has hosted the program since 1983 when he took over after the sudden death of . In April 2004, he revealed to viewers that he had been receiving treatment for prostate cancer and lost his hair as a result. He continued to work while receiving chemotherapy and became emotional on-air several times while discussing the matter. He is currently receiving treatment for a recurrence of his cancer.
Keith Russell
Philadelphia native Keith Russell is the weekend Sports Anchor and weekday fill-in. Keith joined WPVI in August 2005 joining the station from ESPN, which is also owned by Disney. Prior to working for ESPN, he was with WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island.
Footnotes
6abc.com
John B. Hood Middle School is a public secondary school located in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Dallas, Texas (USA). Hood Middle School enrolls students in grades 7-8 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District.
Its home school is Skyline High School which is the first magnet school in the United States.
History
The school is named for John Bell Hood, a Confederate General, born 29 June 1831 in Owingsville, Kentucky. He was the son of a doctor and attended West Point. He served as cadet under Robert E. Lee in Texas. In May of 1863, he made Brigadier General, was put in command of the Texas Brigade, and saw battle at Seven Days, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg. Both he and his wife Anna Marie died of yellow fever in 1879.
School Uniforms
All DISD middle school students , including Hood students , are required to wear school uniforms.
The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform ; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.
Feeder patterns
Feeder pattern: San Jacinto, Hawthorne, Urban Park, John Ireland, and Edna Rowe elementary school
;Other Contacts
*Librarian: (972) 749-4121
*Counselor: (972) 749-4114
*Clinic: (972) 749-4112
Programs and Activities
;Special programs:
National Junior Honor Society, AVID, Future Teachers, Science Fair, Math Olympiad, Chess Club, Technology Education, ROTC, Orchestra, Choir, Band, Occupational Education
;After-school programs:
21st Century Grant, Re-Connect Program, GED for Adults, Girls Inc.
;Extracurricular activities:
Football, Boys and Girls Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Boys and Girls Track, Chess Club
Parent Involvement, Cheerleading.
GED for Adults, Parent Academy, Adult Volunteer
Major Awards and Honors ==
2004-2005 Most significant gains on TAKS Exam in years. 1983 Undefeated District Champions-(Football), 1984 District Champions-(Track), 2004 District and Bi-District Champions (Football), District Champions (Boys Basketball), Chess Club Middle School Champions, 2004-05
Its home school is Skyline High School which is the first magnet school in the United States.
History
The school is named for John Bell Hood, a Confederate General, born 29 June 1831 in Owingsville, Kentucky. He was the son of a doctor and attended West Point. He served as cadet under Robert E. Lee in Texas. In May of 1863, he made Brigadier General, was put in command of the Texas Brigade, and saw battle at Seven Days, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg. Both he and his wife Anna Marie died of yellow fever in 1879.
School Uniforms
All DISD middle school students , including Hood students , are required to wear school uniforms.
The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform ; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.
Feeder patterns
Feeder pattern: San Jacinto, Hawthorne, Urban Park, John Ireland, and Edna Rowe elementary school
;Other Contacts
*Librarian: (972) 749-4121
*Counselor: (972) 749-4114
*Clinic: (972) 749-4112
Programs and Activities
;Special programs:
National Junior Honor Society, AVID, Future Teachers, Science Fair, Math Olympiad, Chess Club, Technology Education, ROTC, Orchestra, Choir, Band, Occupational Education
;After-school programs:
21st Century Grant, Re-Connect Program, GED for Adults, Girls Inc.
;Extracurricular activities:
Football, Boys and Girls Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Boys and Girls Track, Chess Club
Parent Involvement, Cheerleading.
GED for Adults, Parent Academy, Adult Volunteer
Major Awards and Honors ==
2004-2005 Most significant gains on TAKS Exam in years. 1983 Undefeated District Champions-(Football), 1984 District Champions-(Track), 2004 District and Bi-District Champions (Football), District Champions (Boys Basketball), Chess Club Middle School Champions, 2004-05
Pearl C. Anderson Middle Learning Center is a public secondary school located in south Dallas, Texas (USA). Anderson Middle Learning Center enrolls students in grades 6-8 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District.
History
The school is named for Pearl Carina Anderson, a woman from Gainesville, Louisiana. She was the wife of Dr. J.W. Anderson who was a Dallas philanthropist, physician, and leader.
Feeder patterns
As of 2007, the following elementary schools feed into Anderson:
* Charles Rice
* Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center
* Ascher Silberstein
* H. S. Thompson Learning Center
Students graduating from Anderson feed into Lincoln High School.
The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform ; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.
History
The school is named for Pearl Carina Anderson, a woman from Gainesville, Louisiana. She was the wife of Dr. J.W. Anderson who was a Dallas philanthropist, physician, and leader.
Feeder patterns
As of 2007, the following elementary schools feed into Anderson:
* Charles Rice
* Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center
* Ascher Silberstein
* H. S. Thompson Learning Center
Students graduating from Anderson feed into Lincoln High School.
The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform ; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.