Jim Gardner

Millions of viewers in Philadelphia have watched Jim Gardner deliver the news weeknights at 6 and 11 on Action News on WPVI over the past 45 years. If you do the math, that’s about 11,000 hours that Gardner has spent in their living rooms. Maybe that’s why many viewers think of Jim Gardner as, well, family.

Brian Taff has been named as the next anchor for the 6 p.m. newscast on 6ABC/WPVI-TV, the ABC O&O in Philadelphia. Taff will succeed lauded news anchor Jim Gardner when he retires later this month.

Jim Gardner, longtime news anchor at WPVI, the ABC-owned affiliate in Philadelphia, is reducing his anchoring schedule as he plans to retire at the end of 2022 after more than four decades in broadcast.

WPVI, mired in last place in the news ratings in the 1960s, changed its format, leading to four straight decades of TV ratings dominance in Philadelphia.

In a new promo, four reporters talk about their dreams of working at WPVI’s Action News in Philadelphia, considered a legacy station for its near total dominance of the local news ratings for decades. “The DNA of the spot is that 6abc is a destination goal for many in the industry and it’s even more desirable if you grew up here,” said Mike Monsell, WPVI’s VP of Marketing.

WPVI news anchor Jim Gardner will moderate a debate between Pennsylvania’s Senator Bob Casey (D) and Congressman Lou Barletta (R) to air on Sunday morning.