Jim Gardner celebrated 40 years as the main anchor at ABC O&O WPVI Philadelphia last night. WPVI is considered one of the most successful local TV news operation in the country in terms of news ratings and revenue. The station celebrated his 4oth anniversary, and his birthday, in last night’s late news with a video […]
Jim Gardner celebrated 40 years as the main anchor at ABC O&O WPVI Philadelphia last night.
WPVI is considered one of the most successful local TV news operation in the country in terms of news ratings and revenue.
The station celebrated his 4oth anniversary, and his birthday, in last night’s late news with a video that was introduced by WPVI’s meteorologist Cecily Tynan.
Here are some viewer comments from WPVI’s Facebook page about Gardner. I think they best express what he means to the community.
Simply a class act.
Nancy
Jim has been in my house every day for these past 40 years. I hope he continues to be there when I tune in to channel 6 for many years to come. Congratulations, you are the best.
Deb
It was a lovely tribute Jim Gardner! I look forward to getting my news from you each night. Happy birthday and I hope we get to enjoy your newscasts for many years to come.
Linda
You set the “journalistic bar” high … which is where it needs to be. I have always enjoyed your reporting and your writing. You choose your words carefully and are obviously respected by your colleagues.
Chris
Congratulations Jim! Well deserved tribute; one of the things that I miss most about living outside Philly — Jim Gardner & Action News, that and a proper cheesesteak & hoagie!
Marianne
I grew up in a “Channel 6 Action News” house. One of the very few “News Anchors” left with integrity. In this day of the “social media age” and the “quick news fix”, Jim Gardner is oldschool.
Joseph
Congratulations to the best of the best. We invite you into our living room every night because you present the news with respect and professionalism. You are family. God bless you.
JoAnne
Congratulations to a class act!!! Much earned respect to a Philly icon.
Tammy
Thank you for being a trusted, reliable source for the news.
Monica
Congrats Jim, on 40 years of keeping the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys informed.
Daryle
NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure, I grew up in the Philly area watching WPVI, and after college, I worked for an ad agency that counted the station as one if its clients.
In the mid-1980s, as a young writer, I wrote a promo for a special half-hour news report Gardner was working on about veterans with PTSD. Although I hardly ever was at any of the shoots, I asked to attend this one because it featured Gardner.
It was at the Vietnam Memorial in a park in Wilmington, Del. That day, my wife was in the hospital getting ready to deliver our second child.
During the shoot, I was collecting change to call her hoping to find a phone booth.
When Gardner heard about it, he insisted I use his car phone. Who had a car phone in the mid-’80s, seriously?
Gardner showed me how to call and once I got my wife on the phone, I told her I was calling her from the driver’s seat of Jim Gardner’s car, using his personal car phone.
I won’t repeat what Mrs. Greeley said at the time.
That’s the kind of guy Jim Gardner is.
Comments (0)
Reader Interactions