Times have changed.

Back in the day,  families would gather around the television waiting for the local news anchor to deliver the day's top stories.

There were no cell phones or computers.

It wasn't like today where news is delivered almost as soon as it happened.

You had to wait until it was broadcast on television, the radio or a day later in the newspapers.

It may not be easy to believe, but there was a time when the news was delivered with authority and honesty.

And the one thing that was missing?

The newscasters delivered the news without any opinion or bias.

Imagine that.

If something serious was developing,  a graphic would be shown on the screen and the announcer would say in a serious tone,

We interupt this program to bring you a special report from XXX news.

Then the stern-looking anchor would look at us as if he was talking directly to each of us.

Sometimes the words were scary.  Sometimes the words were comforting.

Regardless, we trusted those news anchors.

6ABC Action News/screenshot
6ABC Action News/screenshot
loading...

If you grew up in South Jersey or Philadelphia, you were lucky.

Some of the all-time greatest news anchors were part of our extended family.

The most well-loved of all was a legend in these parts.

Ask anyone over a certain age who their all-time favorite anchor was, and many, if not most, would mention the name Jim Gardner.

Jim started his television career in Buffalo, New York as the anchor on WKBW.

According to his bio, Jim's real name was James Goldman.  He changed his name in response to antisemitism that he ran into in those early days.

Jim came to Philly in June of 1976 when he was hired as a reporter and noon anchor on WPVI.

6ABC Action News/screenshot
6ABC Action News/screenshot
loading...

In what can only be described as a remarkable career, Jim remained with WPVI in various anchor positions until his retirement in 2022.

That's an astounding 45 years.

The fact he lasted in Philadelphia that long is newsworthy in and of itself.

However, lasting 45 years on the same station?

That is not only astounding, but it's a record that will probably never be broken.

He wasn't flashy and didn't have any gimmicks.

But he had a warm smile and a soothing presentation.  Listening to Jim, was like having a friend in your living room filling you in on the day's events.

YouTube screenshot
YouTube screenshot
loading...

Today, Jim is retired and lives in Villanova with his wife.

Jim may have been the dean of anchors, but through the years, others also became a part of our family.

As in any family, there were those who, like Jim, were friendly and quiet.  There were some that were cute.

Others seemed to be in the news themselves.

We lost a few along the way and we even had our troubled relative who wound up doing time.

We did some digging and found some of our all-time favorite newscasters.

You may be surprised to find out what some of them are up to today.

Where Are They Now? Looking Back at Philadelphia TV's Most Famous Anchors

From John Bolaris to Larry Mendte and from Lisa Thomas-Laurie to Renee Chenault-Fattah, Philadelphia's media landscape has been shaped by some of the nation's most iconic anchors (and reporters). But where are they now? We take a look back:

Gallery Credit: Joe, 94.5 PST

Where Are They Now? Looking Back at New York City TV's Most Famous Anchors & Reporters

From Sue Simmons and Roz Abrams to Ernie Anastos and Jim Rosenfield, New York City's media landscape has been shaped by some of the most iconic anchors (and reporters) ever. But where are they now? We take a look back:

Gallery Credit: Joe, 94.5 PST

 

 

 

 

More From WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM