Philadelphia Local TV News Faces A Week of Sadness and Celebration
This has been an extraordinary week in the business of local TV news.
The sad news comes first. Edie Huggins, a Channel Ten personality and beloved mentor to so many young people, died this week. Edie was and remains a special person to anyone who ever worked at Channel Ten, but even more to the viewers who watched her for over forty years. When I arrived here, the same year as Edie did, i couldn’t help but notice her electric personality on the air. She is appropriately perceived as breaking barriers for African-American woman. Edie’s appeal was as a dominant communicator who was a voice and a personality for the ages. During the 14 years that I worked at Channel Ten, and for the year’s since, Edie was loved in the newsroom for several reasons. She was a true professional who loved her community. And she served as a mentor and inspiration to so many young people. Channel Ten lost a part of its family this week, and the viewers lost a hard working and passionate advocate for them.
This week also saw the retirement of Robin Mackintosh from Channel Three. What a celebrated career! In an age of musical chairs among personalities, controversy, and the diminishing power of local news, Robin stood out. First of all, he was a “reporter’s reporter,” a journalistic giant in the tradition of such talented reporters as that other retiree, Dick Sheeran. Robin was a workhorse. He knew the streets of our community like few others, and more than that, he had a reporter’s intuition that few could match. I had the pleasure of working with him for ten years at Channel 3, and enjoying many a conversation about family, the community and our sometimes chaotic business. What you don’t know about him was his fabulous sense of humor, and serious commitment to all things positive. I wish him and his family well.
Change happens in all of our lives. Sometimes it is part of a plan. Other times, it happens with sadness and important reflection on what is really important in life.
Comments(48)
Yo Larry, how are we suppose to comment on this?
It’s better when the local news personalities go gracefully, isn’t it? It’s so ugly when they start clawing at each other and police or airing their laundry on Dr. Phil. I can’t say I’m familiar with either of these two; I haven’t lived here longer than ten years, and I don’t generally watch local “news.” Still, it sounds like they were decent people.
As for “important reflection on what is really important in life,” I’d have to bring it around to FREE AIR. I recently bought a pump for my bike tires, and it was almost $40. If there were FREE AIR, that’s $40 I could have put towards new shoes after stepping in human waste and chicken bones on the El.
So, keep up the good fight, Larry. One day, we’ll be able to write a proud column documenting your achievements in the FREE AIR arena, and, with a bit of luck, it might even mention how you influenced SEPTA workers to clean the trains to make them safe and desireable transportation for man and pirate alike.
p.s. Larry, will you be standing alongside Bon Jovi today at the Philadelphia Soul pep rally at City Hall? What better way to show community spirit?!?! In addition, my sense is that the audience would be receptive to the FREE AIR and “clean up SEPTA/let SEPTA shine” messages. If you are thinking about political office, this could be a great opportunity to hit the ground running.
Larry, your valentine to Eddie Huggins won’t draw a lot of attention because many don’t remeber her. I’d like to share my perspective about Eddie because I share your sentiment about her importance.
As a young 6-8 year old I use to watch her on the news with my mother at noon. Of course,I had no idea who she was, but my mother made a big deal about her. She would say ” I love her she’s so refined and classy” and yes, “a credit to her race.” That’s how people talked back then and it wasnt intended as an offense, but rather a high compliment.
I relaized today she is the first professional black woman I had ever been exposed to. As a child I knew two black woman and they were house maids who were very nice, but of a different class. Eddie was the third black woman I knew as a child. In retrospect she probably had a huge impact on suburban Philadelphian’s accepting the assimilation of blacks into their communities, as well as changing perceptions of the roles black woman could play in society.
So today Larry, I could not agree with you more! Eddie Huggins is a Philadelpia Legend, and hopefully down the road people will realize it was much more than just newscasting. She impacted race relations in a signicant yet sublimal way, not by refusing the back of the bus seat as Rosa Parks rightous did, but by taking the seat Rosa deserved and doing the most she possibly could with it, and Philadelphia is much better for her effort!
Arggh. Enough love fest, maties.
YFAP, we miss your conservative point of view and parrot talk. Are you in Arizona visiting President McCain?
Thanks to a good friend…
I’m old enough to remember Ms. Huggins. Growing up in the Seventies and Eighties, I remember her poise and intelligence and mourn her passing. As an African-American, I indeed regard her as, and am proud of her as a pioneer and only now relize the enormous impact she has had as a mentor in the industry and community.
Rest Well, Ms. Edie
Leo-Forty bucks for an air pump ? I’m guessing you got the 2009 floor model,ready to accommodate both presta & schrader valves.How am I doing so far ?
Captain Hook-Nah,nothing like that.I’ll wait to see the next Prez right here in Philly(ha).By the way,thanks for getting my back when the Provincetown insults rolled in.I dare not say where I’m going next week.
Ahoy YFAP! Me thinks you know far too much about air pumps, matie. Thought you were already at your next port. Use a bicycle pump to fill the air in your tires before leaving to save money. Drive safely and fully inflated. And remember, Leo is very concerned about you shivering your timber. Don’t go blind.
YFBP, the pump can run a whole bouncy house. It also generates a jet of compressed air powerful enough to blast sticky beer and sunflower seeds off of the floor of a SEPTA El train.
Also, don’t shiver your timber too much. You might get splinters.
Leo, $40 for an air pump? that’s outrageous, you must have money to burn!
George, look how much he’s saved on legal expenses now that JR has “disappeared”.
Yep,that’s what happens.Threaten legal action against some people & you’re not heard from again.
That’s good advice about properly inflate tires.I believe Backtrack Obama tried going down that road(no pun intended )the other day.Missouri,perhaps.Dude needs to keep the cue cards handy.Not nearly as embarrasing as the “breathalyzer” speech in Va.but along those lines.
George-Leo went top shelf for that pump.It helps when you’ve got a couple of bikes & different valves.My guess is he’s rockin’ a custom bike from I.F..
Maybe he has to keep Jack Russell’s tires properly inflated as part of his community service.
I got a good pump because I wanted to be ready for the era of FREE AIR. To each according to his needs from each according to his abilities. Underinflated workers of the world unite!
Well,there you have it.We have just bridged FREE AIR & dirty SEPTA trains.And we can thank the lowly bike pump,albeit the one with a hefty price tag.
The pump will become community property in the era of FREE AIR. All pumps and compressors will be nationalized. You just have to make your appointment with the bureaucracy now in order to fill your tires with FREE AIR when your turn arrives in 2013.
Leo-You have a much better grip on the concept of nationalizing than,say,Maxine Waters.It was painful listening to her trying to explain what would happen to the Oil Companies if she had her say.
I predict FREE AIR for all beginning with President McCain’s second term.
Larry, no disrespect to Edie but my township manager passed away this week at the age of 54. I’ve watched the meetings on cable, where my local representatives would mull over zoning and….. well…. zoning issuses. It was always quite compelling and packed with comments from the locals who had a beef with their neighbors or the township. This guy would sit there week afer week and month after month listening to these people debate the size of somebody’s fence or the length of another’s driveway. To think all of that devotion to his job ended in his passing makes me realize that I better get started doing things that satisfy my soul and not reconcile myself to a mundane existence.
If you pay an extra $5 at DMV when you register can you get a “Get Free Air Pass” for the year? Perhaps this revenue generating plan will eliminate the need for casinos.
Larry, if you could explain to me how Robin was a “reporter’s reporter” I would be more than grateful. Our younger generation needs to know what it takes to be a “journalistic giant” in the industry. To me, Robin was a everyday man that managed to circumvent the system that created anchors like you and Larry Mente. You know, looks and an on screen persona. That’s what sells NEWS. Managerment in TV news went for the easy solution and hired news readers that had a nice head of hair and an ability to read teleprompters. Reporters like Robin never had a chance to sit in an anchor seat and your praise of him is only your way to acknowledge that he could have had your job if it weren’t for his looks.
Ed, best part of the Canadian show The Newsroom is the episode in which the anchor (whose IQ is just under 100 and who offends every intelligent interviewee by asking silly questions about bizarre things that he’s interested in) develops a complex like anorexia but concerning his hair. He keeps yelling “HAIR!” and the makeup people comb it up until it’s about four inches high. He still thinks it isn’t big enough. Hi-lar-ious. You can get those DVDs from Netflix or from the CBC website. Great stuff.
Ahoy Maties!Where are all the pirates? Pittsburgh? Arrrrgh.
The only thing less meaningful than the news itself are the actors that read the news.
I guess all me maties went down the shore. Arrrrgh.
Larry is still using his SEPTA pass in search of free air and a clean SEPTA car.
Larry, I have a cause celeb for you. Free car washes. You pay $60 to refill your car and they want to tack another $5-7 on for a car wash. I know water is not free and there is a nominal expense to run washer but I think they could absorb that somewhere in the $60, don’t you?
Ed-Be careful.Larry has threatened to “reset” his readership and it would be easy for him to read your comments as being critical.That,”the cleverness”,and all the “sock puppets” could cause a major overhaul.
Leo-Did you get a warranty with that $40 pump ?
Robin is a girl’s name, maybe thats why he never got on the Anchor desk. Could you imagine if Larry Kane had chosen the name Leslie Kane?
Seperately, Obama is against reparations for slavery, so obviously he supported slavery. “He was for slavery before he was against it!” He’s worse than John Kerry, but a much bigger celebrity!
George, you might be on to something with the name Robin. It is kind of a girly name when you think about it. Batman’s Robin and Robin Hood and Robin Leach all wore tights, although Robin Leach only wears them in private. Robin Williams has been seen in tights when he portrayed Peter Pan. All you pirates know who Peter Pan is. I’m totally convinced Robin Givens wears some kind of nylon leggings. On the other hand Robin Yount and Robin Roberts have kept their use of tights a secret but if you have ever seen Bull Durham you’ll realize that baseball players do have certain idiosyncrasies. Need I mention Robin Cousins the famous figure skater. His pants couldn’t get any tighter. Apparently Robin Macintosh’s fate was sealed at birth. His parents assured his fate the day they named him. Now if I can only get the vision of him wearing tights out of my head…….
I agree Obamamia is worse the John Kerry he flip flops twice as much and twice as fast.
LW, here is a distinction. No one really liked John Kerry. He was smug and aloof. Votes for Kerry were really votes against President Bush. Kerry was exposed as a flip-flopping fraud.
Obama has struck a cord with America. People believe he is an agent of change. He has not delineated a single plan yet people are ready to launch and board the USS Obama. The more he speaks, the more he gets in trouble. Unlike the Swiftboat Kerry, the USS Obama is unstoppable.
Compare John McCain to the USS Constitution. Historical landmark refurbished and maintained.
How about McCain is a deflated liferaft (barely floats). Obama is an overly inflated liferaft (and full of hot air). Bush is a submarine that has sunk to new depths and now is coming up for air.
IT ALL ABOUT AIR, FREE AIR THAT IS!
Bush is Batman (without Robin Macintosh).
McCain is a creepy old man who rightly castigates misbehaving children in resturants and public places for being annoying, then pretends jokingly to the parents that he really does like children, but its not very credible.
Obama is the mixed race kid at school in the 1970s that you kind of felt sorry for, because he was as smart or smarter than many of the white kids, but he could never really date a white girl, and some of the guys parents we’re not crazy about him coming over for a party or to the country club for a swim with you (plus he wasnt a very good swimmer). But they just whispered about it and felt they were not racist and never said anything too strongly against him, but you knew how they felt.
White people like Obama because they feel really guilty about such things, and he is actually pretty smart, and not your average race hustler, so why not join in the fun to support him. Also, an Obama sign in the yard frees whites of the guilt for not being nicer to blacks and excuses some of the stuff their parents said and did. Thats why Obama will be president, its the ultimate payment of reparations, because he’s clearly not yet qualified by any historical standard (he may be in 8rs or so) but the country wants (needs) to cleanse its racist guilt in 2008. What the heck I might even vote for him, if he does well I’ll feel great about it, if not I’ll say well I knew he wasnt ready, but the country feels better and it wasnt worse than Bush, so what the heck!
George, you are one bitter dude (and not very PC).
Play the Free Air Card at Lukoil and you’ll feel better about yourself.
Why would I want to be PC? PC people are the most disingenous people I’ve ever met. More people need to speak honestly and candidly, without fear of being judged as “bitter dudes” or anything else -you have no clue who I am FAFL.
George, you are one angry man. I always thought that I was the most cynical person I ever met but you surpass me by cynical miles. If it isn’t the Jews its the Blacks. You even dis McCain when you are complementing him. At least you are an equal opportunity hater. Your homage to Eddie (Edie Huggins) made my skin crawl. I hope those two maids that you knew when you were young worked for some other family. If you were trying to be sincere I apologize but MAN before you decide to reveal your inner thoughts again I would take a sensitivity class or two…..
Sensitivity training, PC speak- you guys belong in a communist country. I dont expect people to necessarily agree with me, or like what I say, or have a similar perspective, but why should I be schooled in sensistity training in a country that guarantees its people a right to free speech? A country where my ancestors fought and sacrified themselves in WWII to defend our rights and also save the Jewish people from total destruction?
I’m very sincere in what I say, and don’t apoligize for it. I also respect what you guys have to say, and am glad you are free to say it.
When we watch the Olympics next week, we’ll probably learn a thing or two about freedom of speech and how lucky we are. Most of the Chinese people will be saying and acting in the very PC and sensitive way, a way the communsit government of China believes they should be speaking and representing the government’s views.
Free Air, not freedom of speech.
George your version of ‘free speech’ will set back race relations 40 years. Where were you in 1968?
You sound like Archie Bunker or my Dad.
An honest discussion of race that includes people with my voice will advance race realtions 40 years FAFL. The discussion to date hasn’t been honest from either side,and the more that whites and blacks push the discussion down into PC speak, or sensitivity training, the longer it will take to get things resolved and healed.
In 1968 I was watching Edie Huggins with my mom before going off to kindergarten in a privaleged suburban public school that kept the 3% of the blacks in their place. There were race riots in all the major cities, except Philadelphia and I remember teachers telling us that’s because we know how to control our niggers. It wasnt the best time for the country, so we shouldnt pretend it never happened or that it didnt effect the lives and perspectives of those who experienced it- white or black.
George, no excuse to drop the N-bomb even in telling a story.
What the hell is the N-bomb? FAFL you have lost your senses, no one owns that word.
Let’s think about the word Queer. It was once used as a way to describe homosexuals and then over time it became derogatory to most. It was then redefined to the point where we recently had two TV shows; Queer as Folk and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The word has evolved and been redefined, with its mean ugly connoation now defused. This could eventually happen with nigger, not anytime soon, put in a post racial America the word could evolve and we may even have a few telvision shows celebrating the positive emacipating aspects of the word.
The gay culture has changed the word Queer for the better and it didn’t happen by people referring to the word as the Q-bomb. It happened because Act Up started using it in the early 1990s to bring attention to AIDs, it worked and the word became a badge of honnor for many and is no longer hurtful or offensive to most- just ask Hollywood.- Queer actually sells advertising.
George, while you ponder the Q and N word Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts are attempting to undermine the American way.
Nancy Pelosi is the most dangerous woman in America now that Hillary is out of the picture. There are no bounds to her cluelessness or animosity.
George, put your vile words in a rap song and no one will care how often you drop the “bombs”.
George, Philly didn’t have race riots??
Parts of Columbia Ave were burned to the ground.
FJ, George was in Kindergarden in 1968. He doesn’t remember anything about that long, hot summer. Besides, he grew up in the suburbs with a maid.
To OOOJ, Nancy Pelosi IS “Clueless in San Francisco”, “Clueless in Washington”, and will be “Clueless in Denver”. It is amazingly scary when I hear her talk. It’s undefinable stupidity and to think she wields so much power….. One can only hope she is the Keynote speaker at the convention. A few words out of her mouth and all will be lost for the Democrats.
Ed, Soccer Mom on Steroids. And I mean no disrespect to good, well meaning Soccer Moms everywhere.
George will probably drop the B-bomb on NP.
Ed, in our country’s desire to right the inequitiable treatment of women over the years,we’ve rushed women who are not necessarily right for positions to the forefront. Like Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Geraldine Ferraro, etc. I’m all for equity for women in positions of power. I’m only concerned getting the right person for the position. Pelosi clearly is not.