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  • WIP nixes Eagles sideline reporter role after laying off Devan Kaney

    WIP nixes Eagles sideline reporter role after laying off Devan Kaney

    Eagles radio broadcasts will sound a little different this year.

    While longtime announcers Merrill Reese and Mike Quick will be back for their 29th season together in the booth, 94.1 WIP won’t have a dedicated sideline reporter during Eagles games for the first time in more than 15 years.

    WIP is shifting to a more limited role within the broadcast, with Reese and Quick turning to another WIP personality when needed.

    It’s assumed that Eliot Shorr-Parks, the station’s Eagles beat reporter since 2018, will be the broadcast’s go-to voice for updates, but others could jump in as needed. Shorr-Parks will do a pregame hit from the sideline ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.

    “The rest of the role is still TBD,” said David Helm, a spokesperson for WIP’s parent company, Audacy.

    Devan Kaney was laid off by WIP in March and has since landed in Chicago. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Devan Kaney, who served as sideline reporter last season and during the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX run, was laid off by WIP in March as part of company-wide cutbacks by Audacy. She had been with the station since 2022 and served as an on-air personality, regularly cohosting WIP’s morning show alongside Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie.

    Kaney was also a sportscaster at Fox 29, a role she left in June to take a job in Chicago covering the Bears for Fox 32.

    “I had a blast working at WIP and sincerely enjoyed my time there,” Kaney told The Inquirer in March. “But as the old saying goes, when one door closes, another opens.”

    Former WIP host Howard Eskin served as a sideline reporter for more than 15 years. dnphoto

    Former WIP host Howard Eskin was the station’s first Eagles sideline reporter, with his fur coats and colorful headphones becoming a sideline staple. Eskin covered the team since 1975, but said his first season as Eagles sideline reporter wasn’t until 2011.

    Eskin abruptly left the station in December 2024 following an incident with a female staffer during a remote broadcast at a Chickie’s & Pete’s in South Philadelphia and was replaced by Kaney.

    WIP has been broadcasting Eagles games since 1969, with Reese entering his 50th season calling games, by far the longest-tenured announcer in the NFL. The station’s current deal to broadcast Eagles games runs through the 2028 season.

  • Dick Langman, retired award-winning editor at The Inquirer, has died at 99

    Dick Langman, retired award-winning editor at The Inquirer, has died at 99

    Dick Langman was always a wordsmith.

    Even as a boy in New York, he loved language, literature, and poetry. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English, took graduate classes at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and could recite lines from Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Frost on demand.

    He was generally calm and reasonable, too, his sons said. “He didn’t get upset easily,” his son Mark said.

    His vocabulary was extensive, and he could spell practically any word. So it is no surprise that he spent 50 years, from the early 1950s to his retirement in 2002, as an editor, page designer, and reporter for The Inquirer, the Bulletin, the Morning Call of Allentown, the Pottstown Mercury, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and the Evening Tribune in Hornell, N.Y.

    The Morning Call published this story in 1959 when Mr. Langman left to work in Hawaii.Newspapers.com

    He joined The Inquirer in 1981 and worked mostly nights for 21 years as a copy editor, assistant news editor, and suburban assigning editor. Former colleagues at The Inquirer called him a “meticulous” editor, “enormously patient,” and “a man of great integrity” in online tributes.

    He won an award from the old Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association in 1957 for a front page he designed for the Morning Call and spent 20 years as assistant city editor and news editor at the Bulletin. “I’m glad that I had a chance to work with him,” a former Inquirer copy desk colleague said. “What a pro.” Another said: “I could not have had a better teacher.”

    On Saturday, June 13, Dick Langman died of complications from pneumonia at Bryn Mawr Hospital. He was 99.

    Long before he came to Philadelphia in 1961, Mr. Langman was a seasoned newspaperman. He honed his reporting skills as a writer at the Evening Tribune in New York and the Mercury in Pottstown.

    Mr. Langman and his wife, Betty, married in 1954.Courtesy of the family

    In January 1954, he opened a Page 1 story for the Mercury with: “From clomping around in wooden shoes in Holland to wearing modern footwear in Bechtelsville is a long way, and Mrs. LaVerne Fronheiser is glad to be home. She’s not too glad, however, because her husband had to stay in Germany, where he’s stationed with the infantry.”

    On Page 1 in March 1954, he wrote: “They had need of a chaplain yesterday at borough hall. He could have served well the 50 moaners and groaners whose cars were tagged for parking violations.”

    Surviving spouses always remember how they met their mate. Here are the meet-cute stories told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    He moved on to the Morning Call and covered high school sports and other news. He left for Honolulu in 1959 and became sports editor at the Star-Bulletin. But he missed the East Coast and returned to work at the Bulletin in Philadelphia in 1961.

    “Hawaii is one of the loveliest places in the world,” he told the Morning Call. But his wife, Betty, had roots in Norristown, he said, and they both got homesick.

    Mr. Langman wrote this Page 1 story for the Pottstown Mercury in 1953.Newspapers.com

    Earlier, after college, Mr. Langman worked briefly for the Associated Press in New York and as a statistician for what is now the Elias Sports Bureau. He enlisted in the Army after high school in 1944, went to active duty in 1945, and served until the end of World War II.

    At The Inquirer, a former colleague recalled, Mr. Langman edited a story about a horse that had injured a leg. Naturally, he tried to find out which leg was hurt.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    “Dick was a painstaking editor,” his former colleague said on Facebook, “and a master in getting the details right.”

    Richard Langman was born Sept. 5, 1926, in New York. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and earned a bachelor’s degree at City College of New York in 1948.

    Mr. Langman enjoyed cooking and shared his favorite recipes with colleagues at The Inquirer.Dick Langman

    He met Betty Fabbri, the society editor at the Mercury, and they married in 1954. The Morning Call announced their union in its Breakfast Chatter column by saying: “Best wishes to reporter Dick Langman, who walks the long mile in Norristown Sunday with Bettina.”

    He and his wife had sons Mark, Peter, and Andrew, and lived in Allentown, Ardmore, and the Quadrangle retirement community in Haverford. His wife died in 2017.

    Mr. Langman and his wife shared wanderlust, and they went to Russia, Austria, Hungary, Europe, and elsewhere. They visited Italy 10 times, France three times, and Cape May as often as possible.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    They liked to cook together, too, and he shared his favorite recipes with colleagues at The Inquirer. At the Bulletin, he became part of the “old bulls” lunch group.

    He submitted his own prewritten obituary to his funeral director long before it was needed and said: “He enjoyed classical music, poetry, mystery novels, and British mystery and comedy.” He also liked crossword puzzles, fishing, table tennis, classic movies, and duplicate bridge.

    He cheered for the New York Yankees baseball team and the Green Bay Packers and Penn State football teams.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    “He delighted in jokes and was a real fan of the Marx Brothers,” his son Peter said. “When we were children and a local movie theater would feature a Marx Brothers film for one night, my parents made sure that we went. Fond memories indeed.”

    In addition to his sons, Mr. Langman is survived by two grandchildren and other relatives.

    Services were held earlier.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, 100 S. Independence Mall West, Suite 600, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106.

  • WHYY and Penn State take next step to transfer ownership of WPSU

    WHYY and Penn State take next step to transfer ownership of WPSU

    WHYY is one step closer to taking ownership of Pennsylvania State University’s public radio and television station, WPSU, with a new Federal Communications Commission filing.

    WHYY and Penn State filed an application with the FCC late last week to transfer WPSU-FM and WPSU-TV, among other properties, to WHYY for a sale price of $1, according to commission records. The station said in a statement that it was “pleased to have reached an agreement with Pennsylvania State University that marks an important milestone.”

    “We are appreciative of Penn State’s partnership throughout this process, as they have been integral to ensuring uninterrupted service for WPSU’s viewers, listeners and communities,” the station added. “Our shared goal is to preserve and strengthen WPSU’s longstanding mission of providing trusted local journalism, educational programming and community storytelling for the enjoyment and enrichment of generations to come.”

    The FCC needs to approve the deal before it can be completed, the station said. It was not immediately clear how long that process could take, but the review period typically includes a 30-day window during which the public may submit comments.

    The application’s submission marks the latest step in a lengthy process. In October, Penn State trustees unanimously approved a revised proposal to sell WPSU’s operating assets to WHYY, which itself revived a path to keep the station alive following a previous failed deal.

    Under the approved agreement, WHYY is to continue operating WPSU for at least three years following the station’s sale, and give current employees the opportunity to interview for roles under the new leadership. About 44 employees remained at the station following layoffs in June last year, The Inquirer previously reported.

    Previously, WHYY said it was working to raise funds to support WPSU to allow it to continue broadcasting.

    In September, WPSU’s days appeared to be numbered, with Penn State saying it planned to wind down the station’s operations and lay off employees by the end of June. The station’s annual budget was funded largely by the university coupled with federal dollars, the latter of which had been slashed after President Donald Trump’s administration stripped away federal funding for public media, The Inquirer previously reported.

    School trustees in September unanimously voted down a plan for WPSU’s sale to WHYY, largely citing concerns about $17 million in subsidies Penn State would have to provide to WHYY over five years as part of that deal. Under the plan approved in October, the university said last year, WHYY agreed to raise funds itself.

    WPSU began broadcasting more than 70 years ago. When it was faced with a possible closure last year, university leaders said that they received about 1,300 public comments about the station, many of which urged the school to reconsider its decision to wind down operations. WHYY president and CEO Bill Marrazzo later said WPSU would “continue to be here” for listeners.

    “WHYY and WPSU are joining forces to expand what is possible — strengthening local journalism, creating new educational opportunities, and developing innovative ways to deliver the content people value most,” Marrazzo said last year.

  • 6abc’s Cecily Tynan discusses her surprise retirement, sealed after a brief bout with vertigo

    6abc’s Cecily Tynan discusses her surprise retirement, sealed after a brief bout with vertigo

    Viewers across the Philadelphia area were shocked when longtime 6abc meteorologist Cecily Tynan announced her retirement.

    But her Action News colleagues weren’t.

    Tynan knew she wanted to retire back in 2020, when she signed her last contract with the station, which will end next month just as her youngest daughter heads off to college.

    Since then, it had been something of an open secret inside the 6abc newsroom that Tynan’s time at the station was coming to an end. Any chance of her extending her contract ended a few years ago, when she experienced a short but intense bout of vertigo.

    “For most of the day I couldn’t do anything, and I thought this must be what it’s like to be really old and infirm,” Tynan said. “I didn’t want to work all the way up to get to that stage, so it kind of sealed the deal.

    “I’m 57, which is relatively young, I guess, for retiring,” Tynan added. “But I wanted to retire while I’m healthy and active.”

    So rather than stick around 6abc or move up the national ladder, Tynan and her husband, Greg, plan to split time between their homes in Delaware County and Florida after her last day, Aug. 31. She even turned down a chance to come back to host Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade, something she has done for close to 25 years. But the idea of being able to cook Thanksgiving dinner for her family for the first time won out.

    “My children have never spent the night before Thanksgiving in their own home. We’ve always been in a hotel by the parade route, and I’ve never actually cooked,” Tynan said. “I’ve always picked it up from Whole Foods and reheated it.”

    Tynan discussed her decision to retire, what’s next, and the best and worst weather events she has covered in her three decades at 6abc. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

    How do you plan on filling your retirement? Is it just going to be water-skiing and enjoying life?

    That sounds pretty great!

    That’s definitely a big part of it. That and visiting and watching all my daughters’ cross-country and track meets. I do want to stay active in animal rescue. … I’ve been really active with Providence Animal Center. I’m not sure exactly how I’ll do it, but I would definitely still want to be involved in that.

    And I’d like to be able to go to bed at a decent hour.

    What do you make of the reaction to your decision to retire?

    I’ve been talking about it for months with my personal friends and they’d be like, “Philadelphia’s gonna freak,” and I’m like, “No, everyone’s gonna be fine.” I get it because I’ve been here for almost 31 years, so for a lot of people it seems like they’ve been watching me their whole lifetime. I think that Philadelphians have a special relationship with Action News that you don’t see in a lot of other cities or stations.

    Are there any on-air memories that stand out?

    One fun moment was when my earring fell off, and Jim Gardner got up. I saw him stand up and take off his microphone, and there was a frenzy behind the scenes, like, “Jim’s on the move. Traveler’s on the move.”

    I tried to ignore it, and then I saw this white thing go behind my head, which I thought was a cloud animation. Then I realized it was his hair. It was hilarious and then it went viral — it was on Live With Regis and Kelly the next day and stuff, and that was fun.

    Another one was when I was on the morning show with Monica [Malpass] and Rick [Williams], I would always try to crack them up by dancing off camera.

    One time Rick told the director, “Record Cecily when she’s dancing.” I dance like Elaine from Seinfeld, but worse. And so they aired that.

    Is there a reason you stayed in Philadelphia vs. moving to national television?

    I was born and raised in Newtown, Conn., so I always watched the New York stations.

    I thought I would work here a few years and then go to New York. Then I had I had some opportunities early in my career to go up. I filled in on Good Morning America for a full week with Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer, which was a great experience. Gibson gave me a bottle of champagne when the week was over.

    I talked about going to New York with Tom Kane, who was the general manager of WABC and was the GM when I came to Channel 6. … But then I spent the rest of my week there and was like, “Man, I want to get back to Philadelphia.”

    Philadelphia felt like home. … Even when I walked in for my interview, I felt really at home with everyone and they were all nice and welcoming. No backstabbing at all.

    Also, once you have children, that really grounds you. Your children are growing up in a community, and you don’t want to uproot them and leave.

    What are the best weather events to cover, and what are the worst?

    Snowstorms are the best, because everybody gets excited. I was here only a few months and we had the blizzard of 1996, the biggest snowstorm in Philadelphia’s history.

    The worst are tornado warnings because we get a lot of those nowadays, because we have more advanced radar … and we do have a warmer climate. But tornado warnings freak people out, because I’m telling them to get in their basement.

    I was at the airport back in the spring … and the people in front of me recognized me and thanked me. They live in Mullica Hill, and they were there when they had the tornado warning and I told them to get in their basement. They said they got their kids and their pets down there … and when they got out of the basement, their house was destroyed. But they were OK. … That really hit home about the importance of our job. I kind of teared up.

    I’m sure you hear the other side, too, when the weather shifts and your forecast might be off.

    Oh, yeah. The whole saying, “Oh, I wish I had a job where I could be wrong 90% of the time and still keep my job.” I get that all the time. Anybody who says that doesn’t really understand the complexities of the atmosphere. … But I feel like when you’re in the public eye, you do have to grow a thick skin. Especially in Philly. They’re going to tell you what they really think, so they’re not going to sugarcoat it.

    Is there a weather thing people still get confused by?

    One thing I think people really don’t understand is tornado watch vs. warning.

    When a tornado watch is issued, it usually means there’s like a 2% chance of a tornado happening in your neighborhood. It’s pretty low.

    I think a lot of people think when there’s a tornado watch it means warning, which it doesn’t. It just means heads up. The warning is when you have to go to your basement.

  • Disney hits back as Trump administration targets 6abc’s TV license

    Disney hits back as Trump administration targets 6abc’s TV license

    Disney has come out swinging in its defense of 6abc and seven other owned-and-operated ABC TV stations the Trump administration is threatening to take off the air.

    In a new filing Thursday, Disney claims President Donald Trump is using the Federal Communications Commission to go after the local stations’ broadcast licenses in “retaliation” for comments made by ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

    “There is no question why the commission is singling out these eight stations: Each is owned by ABC, and the administration has openly and repeatedly called for the revocation of ABC’s licenses, because it dislikes the content and viewpoints expressed on ABC network programs,” Disney wrote.

    The FCC did not address Disney’s criticism, but in a statement a spokesperson said the agency “is going to hold broadcasters accountable to the full extent of the law.”

    In April, the FCC ordered an unprecedented early review of the broadcast license for 6abc and the seven other stations shortly after Trump called for Kimmel to be fired over a joke he made involving first lady Melania Trump. Disney called the early review “extraordinary” and an attempt at censorship.

    “The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” Disney wrote.

    The FCC has said the review stems from an earlier investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Disney, citing “the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination.” The agency is conducting a similar investigation of Comcast, which owns NBC.

    FCC chairman Brendan Carr also said the agency would include in its review the network’s decision not to air Trump’s prime-time address on election security earlier this month, in which the president repeated the baseless claim he won the 2020 election, despite losing to former President Joe Biden.

    “I think that’s something that broadcasters should be carrying,” Carr said.

    NBC also passed on carrying the speech live, while some local Fox affiliates picked up cable coverage from Fox News. CBS aired Trump’s address, but broadcast networks are not required to preempt their programming when the president addresses the nation.

    Could the Trump administration really take 6abc off the air?

    Rick Williams anchors 6abc’s 11 p.m. edition of “Action News.” 6ABC

    The short answer is yes, but experts say it would be a messy, complicated battle that could take years, a process likely extending beyond the end of Trump’s second term in office.

    6abc’s current broadcast license, renewed in 2023, runs through 2030. The FCC’s next step would be a referral for an official hearing, which could take place as early as next month.

    So far, the FCC has not presented evidence 6abc or the other seven ABC stations owned by Disney have violated any public interest requirements.

    “The FCC has spent the last 18 months searching for some pretext for revoking the Stations’ licenses,” Disney wrote. “The commission has found none, because the Stations easily meet the standard for license renewal — which under the law means that the Commission cannot revoke their licenses or order a hearing on their renewal applications.”

    The last time the FCC revoked a TV station’s broadcast license was in 1987, when RKO General Inc. lost its licenses in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles because of business misconduct.

    If the FCC does move to revoke all eight of ABC’s local broadcast licenses, the case would be decided by an administrative law judge, according to the FCC’s website. Even then, the decision would be subject to appeals to the full commission and federal courts.

    6abc going dark would be ‘a significant loss to the Philadelphia region’

    6abc’s “Action News” has been the city’s most-watched local news program for decades. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Last month, 6abc called on viewers to weigh in on the early review of its broadcast license and support the station. That public comment period ended Wednesday, with over 152,000 people sounding off on the FCC’s move.

    Responders overwhelmingly supported the station, according to an analysis of public comments posted to the FCC’s website, with 6abc widely praised for its local news coverage.

    U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), who represents Bucks County, called on the FCC to give 6abc “full and fair consideration” on its early license renewal, calling the station “an important part of our region’s public safety, cohesion, and civic life.”

    Among the organizations weighing in was the Philadelphia Zoo, which called 6abc a “steady, trusted presence in this community for decades.”

    “The loss of 6ABC would be a significant loss to the Philadelphia region and to organizations like ours that rely on the station’s local news, weather, and community coverage to reach the public,” Jo-Elle Mogerman, the Philadelphia Zoo’s president and CEO, wrote in a letter to the FCC.

    The Philadelphia Police Foundation called 6abc an “indispensable partner” and “vital contributor” to the quality of life across the city, praising the station’s support of police officers, first responders, and Philly children.

    “The loss of 6ABC broadcasting would deeply impact the Philadelphia region, removing a trusted journalistic voice and a critical pillar of support that local nonprofits and public safety organizations rely upon,” the organization wrote.

    Local residents were also overwhelmingly against removing 6abc from the air. Faith Paffett-Lugassy cited 6abc’s coverage of weather events and emergency information, pointing to Action News’ live coverage during severe thunderstorms that swept through the Philadelphia region earlier this month.

    “ABC stayed on the news channel the entire time until a tornado watch was finally canceled,” Paffett-Lugassy wrote. “ABC is my favorite channel to watch, please don’t take it off the air.”

    Bucks County resident Donald O’Keefe is not a cable TV subscriber, and said he relies on 6abc’s broadcast signal for local news and weather updates. According to O’Keefe, taking the station off the air “would directly compromise the public safety and awareness of Lower Makefield Township” and deprive residents of “critical safety warnings.”

    Others, like David DeGrace, looked beyond Action News to all the other programming on ABC that would be unavailable if the FCC followed through on its threat.

    “Don’t take away my Jeopardy!” DeGrace wrote. “This is ridiculous.”

  • Akira Suwa, award-winning photojournalist at The Inquirer, has died at 84

    Akira Suwa, award-winning photojournalist at The Inquirer, has died at 84

    Akira Suwa, 84, of Laurel Springs, Camden County, award-winning longtime photojournalist at The Inquirer, mentor, and lifelong green-thumb gardener, died Tuesday, July 14, of complications from dementia at his home.

    Born in what is now South Korea and reared in Japan, Mr. Suwa came to the United States for good in 1967 as a landscape designer and amateur photographer. When a landscaping job at a Florida garden center dried up, he polished his photography skills and, from 1969 to his retirement in 2014, worked as an award-winning staff photographer at the Tampa Tribune, the St. Petersburg Times, the Palm Beach Post, and The Inquirer.

    He joined The Inquirer in 1977 and, for 37 years, provided readers with thousands of illustrative, dramatic, stylish, and emotion-evoking photos from assignments around Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the world. He took poignant photos after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany, and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and during Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan.

    He sent back tragic and heroic images of conflict and despair from Libya and Brazil. He photographed drug traffickers in Colombia and was detained by authorities in China.

    Before the Inquirer, Mr. Suwa took photographs for the Palm Beach Post, the St. Petersburg Times, and the Tampa Tribune.Courtesy of the family

    Locally, he photographed athletes celebrating and commiserating, politicians and celebrities walking and waving, fashion models on runways, and restaurant specialties on tables. Former Inquirer colleagues called him a “brilliant photojournalist” and a “funny, engaging and terrific colleague” on Facebook.

    One former colleague said: “Akira told thousands of great stories with his camera.” His family said in a tribute: “Akira believed every story was worth telling.”

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    Before the Inquirer, Mr. Suwa took photographs on all kinds of assignments for the Palm Beach Post, the St. Petersburg Times, and the Tampa Tribune. His father was an avid amateur photographer back in Japan, and Mr. Suwa honed his own emerging photo skills at nights and on weekends in Florida before joining the Tribune in 1969.

    He won several awards from the National Press Photographers Association and was named the 1973 Florida Newspaper Photographer of the Year by the University of Florida. He mentored young photographers and students, and one former student said: “He taught me so much about making the best photos possible.”

    Mr. Suwa photographed his wife, Deborah, often.Courtesy of the family

    Away from the lens, Mr. Suwa enjoyed tending his backyard garden in South Jersey, watching the birds flit about the feeders, and chasing the squirrels away. His mother was a serious gardener in Japan, and he studied agriculture in California as an exchange student while earning a degree at Tokyo Agricultural University in 1966.

    In 1964, he took a year off from college to work as a busser in the Japan pavilion at the World’s Fair in New York. “I fell in love with America, especially New York City,” Mr. Suwa wrote in an autobiography he shared with his family. “I was young and motivated to do something different from my peers back in Japan.”

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    Akira Suwa was born Dec. 22, 1941, in what was then Taegu, Korea. He and his family fled Korea for Japan as refugees after World War II, and he grew up mainly in Osaka.

    He never formally studied photography, but his innate camera skills got him a job with a photo studio in Florida in the late 1960s.

    Mr. Suwa photographed these Mummers in 1978. Akira Suwa / Staff Photographer

    He met Deborah Carter through a mutual friend at the studio, and he took her to see the musical Hello, Dolly! on their first date. She was smitten, she said, and they married in 1969, and had daughters Jasmine and Keiko.

    They settled in Laurel Springs when he joined The Inquirer and traveled to Japan several times to visit family and friends. “We enjoyed the best of both cultures,” his wife said.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    Mr. Suwa listened to jazz and built his own home computers. He liked to play pranks on the girls, his daughter Keiko said, but was simultaneously warm, serious, and practical. “If there was a job to do,” she said, “he would get it done.”

    His daughter Jasmine said: “He was forthright, sincere, and full of integrity.”

    Mr. Suwa and his family traveled to visit family in Florida and Japan. Courtesy of the family

    He doted on his wife and their grandchildren, and his family praised “his sharp eye, his mischievous sense of humor, and his devotion to his family.” His wife said: “He had my back and was as honest as the day is long.”

    Surviving spouses always remember how they met their mate. Here are the meet-cute stories told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    Friends called him “the kindest person,” “wonderful and enormously talented,” and “a caring person to everyone.” He was interviewed by Photo Lounge in 2022 and said: “I just take pictures, and I like people.”

    His wife said: “He was my human, my person, my guy.”

    In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Suwa is survived by two grandchildren and other relatives. A brother died earlier.

    Visitation with the family is to be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Gardner Funeral Home, 126 S. Black Horse Pike, Runnemede, N.J. 08078.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Box 2675, New York, N.Y. 10108; and the Animal Welfare Association, 509 Centennial Blvd., Voorhees, N.J. 08043.

  • With LeBron James joining the Sixers, NBC Sports Philadelphia looks to staff up

    With LeBron James joining the Sixers, NBC Sports Philadelphia looks to staff up

    Like everyone else, Sixers announcer Alaa Abdelnaby was shocked when news broke LeBron James was coming to Philadelphia.

    Now he’s settling into the reality of calling games featuring the future Hall of Famer, who passed up a return to Cleveland to sign a two-year deal with the Sixers.

    “I don’t think it was a farewell swan song he was looking for,” Abdelnaby said. “He’s still looking to win.”

    It’s a wild swing for Abdelnaby, who is entering his 11th season calling Sixers games. His was hired in the middle of “The Process” and Philly lost 72 games during his first season as a color analyst. Now the team is coming off an exciting playoff upset of the Boston Celtics and added two superstars in James and Jaylen Brown.

    “In Philadelphia we’re not used to having nice things,” Abdelnaby joked. “All eyes are going to be on you. I think everybody has to pick up their game a little bit.”

    LeBron James chose Philly over Cleveland, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    That’s true for the network as well. Alexandra Matcham, the vice president of content for NBC Sports Philadelphia, said it was budgeting in hopes of staffing up for the season.

    “If you get a generational talent on your team, it could easily become a situation where the people that work for us are burnt out by December, and you don’t want that,” Matcham said. “You need extra help.”

    That’s a welcome change in an era where regional sports networks like NBC Sports Philadelphia have been hit hard by cord cutting. How things shape up remains unclear, but Matcham said there are several possibilities.

    “It’d be helpful if somebody who’s followed and covered him were on our staff,” Matcham said. “Maybe we add people like that.”

    For years, NBC Sports Philadelphia and its predecessor, Comcast SportsNet, turned to reporters like Serena Winters and Taryn Hatcher for Sixers broadcasts. The network is weighing whether to add a third voice alongside Abdelnaby and play-by-play announcer Kate Scott, but the role wouldn’t be confined to baseline updates.

    “As I’m talking to my colleagues, I’m not even calling it a reporter role because I feel like it’s going to give them a stereotype I don’t necessarily mean,” Matcham said.

    “I think you need a voice on the court where Alaa and Kate can’t be to give us insight, do pre- and postgame interviews, analysis, all of that,” Matcham added. “It’s a very hard job to do.”

    A lot more national TV exposure for the Sixers

    NBC Sports Philadelphia announcers Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby will be in the spotlight this season. Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

    While the NBA hasn’t released its 2026-27 schedule, Matcham expects NBC Sports Philadelphia to air fewer Sixers games.

    The network, which has broadcast Sixers games since 1997, is guaranteed at least 67 games this season as part of its deal with the NBA. It’s widely expected the league will take 15 Sixers games — the most allowed under their current TV deal — and put them in exclusive national windows on ABC, NBC, and Amazon’s Prime Video.

    “LeBron’s arrival in Philadelphia instantly becomes one of the biggest stories in sports and adds even more star power and intrigue to an already loaded NBA schedule,” said Justin Byczek, NBC’s executive vice president of programming and rights management. “His move elevates some of the league’s most historic rivalries, including highly anticipated battles with the defending NBA Champion New York Knicks.”

    Another 19 games are expected to air nationally and on NBC Sports Philadelphia as side-by-sides on Peacock, ESPN, and NBA TV. That’s 34 national games for the Sixers, compared to just 14 when the schedule was announced last season.

    Under the NBA’s current media rights contract, every NBA team is guaranteed at least two national broadcasts. Only the most popular teams land 34, the max allowed under the 11-year, $76 billion TV deal.

    It’s a great outcome for the NBA. The Lakers remain relevant with Luka Dončić, while James’ decision to join the Sixers will juice interest in matchups against the Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and Miami Heat, who were spurned by LeBron but landed Giannis Antetokounmpo. There’s also the Sixers-Celtics rivalry, already heightened by Philly trading for Jaylen Brown.

    “Christmas Day and all the top-level NBA nights, you’re going to see the Sixers,” said Jon Lewis, a TV ratings expert who runs the Sports Media Watch website. “Plus the national networks will have LeBron on the East Coast to showcase in that 8 o’clock window. That’s primetime, after all.”

    What remains unclear is what impact James will have on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s viewership numbers. Last season, the network averaged 86,000 viewers per game, according to Nielsen numbers obtained by The Inquirer. That was a 25% increase compared to the 2024-25 season, when the Sixers lost 58 games and missed the playoffs.

    Lewis said he would expect local ratings to go up in Philly if the 41-year-old stays healthy and the Sixers are big-time contenders. But he also noted just one Lakers game was among the 30 most-watched NBA games last season

    “I would set expectations higher,” Lewis said, “just not overwhelmingly high for where he is at this point.”

    The interest will also carry over to the Sixers three preseason games, beginning with their Oct. 8 matchup on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. Historically NBC Sports Philadelphia hasn’t covered those road preseason games, but that could change with James on the team.

    “It’s the first preseason game with LeBron in a Sixers jersey,” Abdelnaby said. “So if our bosses were to say, ‘Listen, we’re covering that,’ I wouldn’t be surprised.”

    NBC Sports Philadelphia is also looking to create more content to meet the high level of interest James will draw. That includes everything from adding and upgrading cameras throughout the arena to tinkering with in-game graphics and production equipment.

    “Every game is going to mean something big,” Matcham said, “so everything we do has to show that off.”

  • Al Campbell, retired longtime Inquirer copy editor, has died at 74

    Al Campbell, retired longtime Inquirer copy editor, has died at 74

    Al Campbell, 74, of Philadelphia, retired longtime copy editor at The Inquirer, former copy boy, clerk, and library assistant at the Bulletin, mentor to many, and steady pitcher for the old Horsham Neighbors softball team, died Tuesday, June 9, of heart and kidney failure at the home of his brother Bob in the Northeast.

    Born in Philadelphia and a 1969 graduate of Northeast High School, Mr. Campbell spent nearly three years as a copy boy and editorial assistant in the old Bulletin newsroom before joining The Inquirer as a copy editor in 1970. That move to 400 N. Broad St. kicked off a colorful 46-year career at The Inquirer that included stints on the suburban news copy desk and the night sports copy desk, and a self-assigned 24-7 job as a friend and mentor to dozens of reporters, columnists, editors, and photographers.

    “Al was so kind and funny,” a former Inquirer colleague said on Facebook. “He made The Inquirer a better place.” Other former colleagues called him “a sage and an icon” and “a real pro and fun to be around.”

    Big and often boisterous — everybody called him Moose — Mr. Campbell was the son of a newspaper reporter, and he was adept at polishing prose, detecting mistakes, and working with reporters and photographers, usually over the phone. “Moosey looked out for us,” a former colleague said on Facebook.

    Mr. Campbell (center) “was a stickler for details,” his brother Bob said. Courtesy of the family

    He came up with witty headlines and captions, had years of practical and institutional knowledge of Philadelphia politics, culture, and sports, and worked nimbly on deadline, making him a favorite of other editors and page designers. He also served as a newsroom union steward.

    “He was a stickler for details,” his brother Bob said. “People said his favorite saying was: ‘I got you covered.’”

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    A photographer said on Facebook: “He saved my neck many times with caption corrections.” Longtime Inquirer colleague Don McKee said: “He was diligent and took the job seriously. He actually cared about what we wrote and what went in the paper.”

    Away from the newsroom, Mr. Campbell organized softball games between Inquirer staffers and hosted memorable late-into-the-night parties at his home in the Northeast. He was quick with a joke and “put a smile on everyone’s face,” a longtime friend said.

    Mr. Campbell and his wife, Jean, married in 1980.Courtesy of the family

    Other former colleagues called him “unique,” “a real character,” “a larger-than-life personality,” and “the great wit of our team.” His brother said: “He was honest and loyal, an old-fashioned man of his word.”

    Alan Douglas Campbell was born Oct. 10, 1951. He was on track and basketball teams in high school, joined the Boy Scouts and Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and studied at Temple University briefly before going into newspapers full-time.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    He met Jean Hunsberger in school. They reconnected at their 10-year high school reunion in 1979, married in 1980, and lived in a cozy house he called Moose Manor. His wife died in 2022.

    Mr. Campbell was fascinated by trains and public transportation, and he rode his bicycle as a boy to nearby train stations to watch the locomotives roar by. Later, he rode the trains to the suburbs and Washington, and assembled an extensive collection of model trains that he displayed at his home.

    Mr. Campbell was a cat lover. Courtesy of the family

    He loved cats, old movies, and comedy shows. He celebrated his Scottish heritage and became licensed as a massage therapist.

    “Moose was one of a kind,” a former colleague said. His brother Bob said: “He was the most gentle soul on the planet.”

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    In addition to his brother, Mr. Campbell is survived by a brother, Tom, and other relatives.

    A celebration of his life is to be held later.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Pennsylvania SPCA, 350 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19134.

    Mr. Campbell started his 46-year career at The Inquirer in 1970.Courtesy of the family
    Mr. Campbell was a playing manager for the Horsham Neighbors softball team in the 1980s.Courtesy of the family
  • NBC forcing John Kruk back into a suit as Phillies go national

    NBC forcing John Kruk back into a suit as Phillies go national

    The Phillies have lost two straight series, but fans will have at least one thing to look forward to this weekend — John Kruk in a suit.

    The former Phillies first baseman turned TV analyst will be back in the booth for NBC to cover the series finale against the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball. That means Kruk will once again ditch his polo shirt and ball cap to meet NBC’s rigorous broadcast standards.

    “We’re a coat-and-tie shop, so somebody does forcibly make him wear the suit,” said Jason Benetti, the voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball, who will be calling the game alongside Kruk and former Phillies manager Joe Girardi.

    If the past is any indicator, expect social media to have fun with Kruk’s attire. This is the third Phillies game he’s called for NBC this season (though the first was a Peacock exclusive), and each time fans have cracked jokes.

    One thought Kruk looked like “a clean-shaven Benjamin Franklin.” Others joked he “legit looks like a Mafia hit man” or like a “washed-up hockey coach who tries to make a comeback after years of heavy drinking.”

    “Some local place should give him a suit deal, and they should let him gift it to charity,” Benetti said.

    Even Tom McCarthy’s gotten in on the fun. Following June’s NBC game, McCarthy suggested they send Kruk’s suit to Cooperstown, N.Y., to be part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Earlier this week, Kruk mentioned he might need to borrow a tie for Sunday, so McCarthy brought in a bunch of his own for his broadcast partner to pick from.

    “I believe he is going with one of the ones I brought him,” McCarthy said. “The whole exchange has been great.”

    Kruk didn’t have a specific color in mind — he just wanted “something that pops” that went well with his dark blue suit.

    “I mean, I look good in everything,” Kruk said on the broadcast Sunday during the Phillies’ loss to the New York Mets, though he questioned why he needs to wear a suit in the first place.

    This is NBC’s first season broadcasting Sunday Night Baseball, which it took over from ESPN as part of a three-year TV deal with MLB that reportedly runs about $200 million a season. While Benetti is the play-by-play voice, he is joined each week by two different analysts linked to the teams playing.

    Benetti has called two games with Kruk this season, describing him as “the perfect improv partner.” But the depth of Kruk’s baseball knowledge took Benetti a bit by surprise.

    “I went in with this notion he’ll say anything, and it’ll be interesting, intriguing, weird — the whole range of creativity,” Benetti said. “But he’s an absolutely astute, perceptive, issue-spotting baseball analyst.”

    Phillies back on Apple TV to kick off Yankees series

    While Apple TV will stream the game, fans can choose to listen to Scott Franzke and the Phillies’ radio broadcast. NBC Sports Philadelphia

    Before we get to see Kruk back in his suit, fans will have to log onto Apple TV to watch the Phillies-Yankees series opener on Friday Night Baseball.

    First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Friday, with Jesús Luzardo on the mound facing Yankees ace Cam Schlittler. Calling the game is Wayne Randazzo alongside onetime Phillies pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Heidi Watney will report live from Citizens Bank Park.

    Despite the annoyances that come with being forced to stream a Phillies game, Apple TV has the best feature of any sports streamer — the ability to switch to an audio feed of your team’s radio announcing crew. So Phillies fans can listen to Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen, no syncing required.

    It’s the fifth season of Apple TV’s seven-year, $595 million deal with MLB, which runs through the 2028 season. Over that time, the cost has nearly doubled from $6.99 to $12.99 a month, though Apple TV is offering a free one-month trial and this is the last Phillies game scheduled to stream on the tech giant’s platform.

    Saturday’s game will be back on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with McCarthy calling the action alongside former Phillies general manager Rubén Amaro Jr.

    Citizens Bank Park gets high marks from Benetti

    NBC play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti, seen here interviewing Phillies slugger Bryce Harper.NBC Sports

    In addition to being the voice of Sunday Night Baseball, Benetti calls Detroit Tigers games for Detroit SportsNet. Prior to that, he spent eight seasons as the TV voice of the Chicago White Sox.

    There isn’t a stadium in the majors Benetti hasn’t called a game from. And Citizens Bank Park, where he’ll be Sunday night, is near the top of his list of the best ballparks.

    “It’s top three in the league,” Benetti said. “It’s absolutely wired. When it’s close and late, you can’t hear yourself … The ballpark itself plays loud.”

    Benetti is also a fan of the food served to media folks. He described the ice cream dished out by “Frankie Two Scoops” as “the best in the league,” and is still angry he only recently learned about the terrific cheesesteaks the team serves inside the visiting team clubhouse.

    “It was an 11 out of 10,” Benetti said. “It was nonsense how good it was.”

    Phillies standings

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    Phillies news

    Phillies owner John Middleton. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Upcoming Phillies TV schedule

    • Yankees at Phillies
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  • Cecily Tynan is retiring from 6abc after three decades on Action News

    Cecily Tynan is retiring from 6abc after three decades on Action News

    The big story on Action News is the departure of Cecily Tynan.

    The beloved meteorologist is retiring after more than three decades at 6abc, a trailblazing career spanning major weather events, including Hurricane Sandy, the Blizzard of 1996, and devastating flooding in Philadelphia following Hurricane Ida.

    Tynan’s last day with the station will be Monday, Aug. 31.

    At the end of the 6 p.m. Thursday newscast, Tynan publicly confirmed her plans.

    “After more than 30 years at Action News, I will be retiring in a few weeks, and honestly, I’m thrilled about it,” Tynan, 57, said.

    “This has been in the works for a while. I’ve been counting down here at the station. Both my children have graduated from high school. My daughter is going to college in less than a month, and she’ll be running cross country and track. And my husband and I, we plan to attend every single one of her meets. So it’s the right time for me. It’s the right time for my family, and I’m so very thankful,” Tynan said.

    Responding to her announcement, anchor Brian Taff told Tynan: “You are a treasure, not just in this newsroom, of course, but among everybody out there watching who loves tuning in every night and feeling the comfort of having Cecily Tynan tell them what’s coming up.”

    In a written statement, Tynan said she was “honored” to have been a key part of the Action News team, where she began as the station’s first-ever weekend meteorologist before becoming its first female chief meteorologist in 2009, replacing the retiring Dave Roberts.

    “I’m proud of the work we’ve done and thankful to 6abc viewers for trusting me with their weather forecasts,” Tynan said, adding she plans to spend her winters “in Florida water skiing, traveling and having lots of quality time” with her family.

    Tynan is a mainstay in Philly’s closely watched TV news ecosystem, spending much of her career alongside famed anchor Jim Gardner on the 11 p.m. edition of Action News before his retirement in 2022.

    Cecily Tynan cleans a cab with former WIP host Howard Eskin during a fundraiser at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel in 1999.G.W. MILLER III / Philadelphia Daily News

    She began at the station in 1995 as a weekend weather anchor and reporter, parlaying a two-year contract into a multidecade career that also included the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts and a prime spot on the station’s Thanksgiving Day parade coverage.

    “From the moment she first walked off the elevator and joined Action News, Cecily has been a trusted voice for viewers, a leader in our newsroom, and one of the most talented broadcasters in Philadelphia,” John W. Morris, 6abc’s general manager, said in a statement. “Whether guiding us through storms or being part of our holiday traditions, Cecily has been a part of our lives for a long time.”

    On Oct. 9 last year, Tynan celebrated her 30th anniversary in a social media post, recalling that she had originally planned to stay with the ABC network’s Philadelphia station for three years.

    “That’s what happens when you find your ‘home,’ where your co-workers evolve into some of your closest friends,” Tynan wrote.

    “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!” she added.

    Prior to landing in Philly, the Connecticut native made stops in Las Vegas and Roanoke, Va. She also previously hosted the public affairs show Primetime Weekend.

    “As much as our viewers are going to miss her, we will miss her even more,” Morris said.

    While Action News has been known for its stability, Philly’s most-watched news broadcast has said goodbye to a few notable people recently. Fellow meteorologist Chris Sowers left the station in 2024 to join the ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach, longtime general manager Bernie Prazenica retired in 2025, and Tom Davis, the station’s former vice president and news director, departed in March.

    There have also been a few departures on the sports side, including reporters Gabriella Galati, Jeff Skversky, and Jamie Apody. Both Skversky and Apody later landed at Fox 29.

    The station hasn’t yet announced Tynan’s replacement. Among the candidates are 6abc veterans Karen Rogers, Adam Joseph, and Brittany Boyer.