Larry Kane

Last updated

Larry Kane
Born
Larry Kanowitz

(1942-10-21) October 21, 1942 (age 82)
Occupations
Years active1958–present

Larry Kane (born October 21, 1942) is an American journalist, news anchor and author known for his over 6 decade career. Kane spent 36 years as a news anchor in Philadelphia, and is the only person to have anchored at all three Philadelphia owned and operated television stations. Early in his career, he was the only broadcast journalist to travel to every stop on the Beatles' 1964 and 1965 American tours. He has authored three books about the Beatles, as well as a memoir and a novel. After retiring from television journalism in 2002, he is a special contributor for KYW Newsradio. [1]

Contents

Early life

Kane was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. His parents changed their last name from Kanowitz years before his broadcasting career. [2] Kane's father was an electrical contractor. His mother, Mildred Kane, fought multiple sclerosis for 14 years before her death at age 40. His work with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society began because of his mother's involvement with the disease.

Career

He began his career in broadcast journalism in Miami, Florida at age 16, first at WQAM and later at WAME and WFUN. While working at WAME, Kane became the first U.S. news correspondent to break the story of the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961.

Work with the Beatles

As the only broadcast journalist to travel to every stop on the Beatles' 1964 and 1965 tours, Kane authored the book Ticket to Ride in 2003. [3] Kane also authored Lennon Revealed, a New York Times and Los Angeles Times Bestseller in 2005. [4] Kane is considered one of the premiere American experts on the life of John Lennon.[ citation needed ] On July 30, 2013, Kane's internationally distributed book, When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top was released. [5]

Kane was also one of the contributors to Yoko Ono's 2005 book Memories of John Lennon, in which he recalled how Lennon cohosted the Philadelphia "Helping Hand Marathon" fundraiser in 1975 and gave a weather forecast on Kane's television newscast. [6]

Career in Philadelphia

In 1965, he came to Philadelphia as an anchor for WFIL Radio and as main anchor for its sister station WFIL-TV, Philadelphia's ABC affiliate. Kane was the later the primary anchor for the (then new) Action News format. WFIL-TV would change its call letters to WPVI-TV in 1971 after Capital Cities Communications purchased the station from Triangle Publications. Kane is credited with coining the phrase "The Big Story" at the top of Action News, something WPVI uses to this day. Kane would leave WPVI in 1977, in order to take daily limousine trips to New York City and join WABC-TV.

Kane was an anchor on New York's WABC-TV's Eyewitness News for one year from 1977 to 1978; during that time, he was the lead anchor the night after the infamous New York City blackout of 1977 [7] and also anchored news updates for ABC News.

He returned to Philadelphia in late 1978 and joined WCAU-TV, then a CBS-owned station, as the primary anchor of Channel 10 News at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. In 1993 he moved to KYW-TV, an NBC affiliate which became the new CBS station in Philadelphia in 1995. He also hosted a short-time weekly program produced by KYW-TV called The Bulletin with Larry Kane (not to be confused with the defunct Philadelphia Evening Bulletin newspaper). Kane anchored the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts at KYW until December 23, 2002.

Kane covered local Philadelphia politics through hosting several public affairs programs. Kane was an anchor at WCAU when sources considered reliable tipped erroneously that Philadelphia mayor William J. Green was subject of federal investigation for improprieties. The story was later retracted, and Green sued CBS.

In 1994, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Kane into their Hall of Fame. On November 22, 2002, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia presented him with their "Person of the Year" award, their highest honor.

Until its 2017 shutdown, he hosted Larry Kane: Voice of Reason, a weekly news analysis program on the Comcast Network. Kane continues to do special reports for KYW, an all-news radio station in Philadelphia.

Author

A veteran of 23 political conventions since 1964, Kane published in 2000 his first book Larry Kane's Philadelphia, a regional bestseller.

In 2011, Kane released his first novel, Death by Deadline, a cautionary mystery about the dangers of bad information, and the risks of out-of-control local TV news operations. [8]

Charity work

Recognized as a leading proponent of the rights of the disabled, Kane is campaign chairman of the Delaware Valley Multiple Sclerosis Society. [9] For 35 years Kane has broadcast weekly features on radio and TV in connection with the National Adoption Center to find homes for waiting children. [10] He is also involved in many other non-profit endeavors. [11]

Personal life

Kane resides in suburban Philadelphia with his wife Donna. They have two children and six grandchildren.

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WABC-TV</span> ABC flagship station in New York City

WABC-TV is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters; its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Facenda</span> American broadcaster and sports announcer (1913–1984)

John Thomas Ralph Augustine James Facenda was an American broadcaster and sports announcer. He was a fixture on Philadelphia radio and television for decades, and achieved national fame as a narrator for NFL Films and Football Follies. Through his work with NFL Films, Facenda was known by many National Football League fans as "The Voice of God".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPHL-TV</span> CW TV station in Philadelphia

WPHL-TV is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the local outlet for The CW. The station also maintains a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. Owned and operated by The CW's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, WPHL-TV has studios in the Wynnefield section of West Philadelphia; it maintains a channel sharing agreement with Vineland, New Jersey–licensed Univision station WUVP-DT, under which the two stations transmit using WPHL-TV's spectrum from a tower in the Roxborough antenna farm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KYW (AM)</span> All-news radio station in Philadelphia

KYW is a commercial AM radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest continuously operating radio stations in the United States, originating in Chicago before moving to Philadelphia in 1934. KYW's unusual history includes its call sign of only three letters, beginning with a K, rare for a station in the Eastern United States. It broadcasts an all-news radio format and is branded as "KYW Newsradio". KYW serves as the flagship station of Audacy, Inc. KYW's studios are co-located within Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City Philadelphia and its transmitter and two-tower directional antenna array are located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania.

KYW-TV, branded CBS Philadelphia, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's CBS outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent station WPSG. The two stations share studios on Hamilton Street north of Center City, Philadelphia; KYW-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Roxborough section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCAU</span> NBC TV station in Philadelphia

WCAU is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's NBC outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Mount Laurel, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo outlet WWSI ; it is also sister to regional sports network NBC Sports Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPVI-TV</span> ABC TV station in Philadelphia

WPVI-TV, branded 6 ABC, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, serving as the market's ABC outlet. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios on City Avenue in the Wynnefield Heights section of Philadelphia, and a transmitter in the city's Roxborough neighborhood.

<i>Eyewitness News</i> American television newscast format

Eyewitness News is a style of television presentation that emphasizes visual elements and action videos, instead of the older ,"man-on-camera" style of newscast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHSQ</span> ESPN Radio station in New York City

WHSQ is a radio station in New York City. Owned by Audacy, Inc. and operated by Good Karma Brands (GKB) under a local marketing agreement (LMA), it broadcasts a sports radio format as the co-flagship of the ESPN Radio network. The station's transmitter is located on High Island in the Bronx; its 50,000-watt clear channel signal can be heard at night throughout much of the eastern United States and Eastern Canada.

Action News is a local television newscast format originating in the United States. First conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is characterized by a tight format with strict time limits on set packages, a focus on surrounding suburbs, and a focus on young talent. It was a competitor to the Eyewitness News format.

Lawrence David Mendte is an American news anchor, commentator and radio talk show host. He is currently the news director and anchor at WOR radio in New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOGL</span> Classic hits radio station in Philadelphia

WOGL is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits radio format. The broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, at. The station's studios and offices are co-located within Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City Philadelphia. The station features mostly hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with some 2000s hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPHT</span> Talk radio station in Philadelphia

WPHT is a commercial radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its studios are in Audacy's corporate headquarters on Market Street in Center City, and its transmitter and broadcast tower are on North Church Street in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Timothy W. Lake is a television news anchor and historical narrative nonfiction author, currently at WTEN in Albany, New York. He was formerly the solo anchor of WCAU's NBC 10 News at 6 p.m. and co-anchor of NBC 10 News at 4 with Dawn Timmeney and NBC 10 News at 11 p.m. with Renee Chenault-Fattah.

Alycia Lane is an American television journalist. Until October 2013, she served as weekday morning anchor at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. From September 2003 until January 2008, she was co-anchor of the weekday evening newscasts on KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lane's contract with KYW-TV was terminated shortly after being arrested for allegedly striking a New York police officer and calling her a homophobic slur.

Lisa Thomas-Laury is a retired news presenter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. From 1983 to 2003, she co-anchored the 5 p.m. newscast aired by WPVI-TV.

John Wesley Claver Jones, was an American journalist who became the first African-American news anchor in the Philadelphia television market. Described by KYW-TV weatherman Tom Lamaine in 1991 as "a profile in courage and encouragement to those who" were "afflicted with cancer," Jack Jones was also praised by longtime Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo, who said, "I was absolutely amazed at his courage—at what he did and how he did it." Rizzo also said that Jones "asked tough questions, but he did it with class." According to veteran Philadelphia news anchor Larry Kane, Jones "loved to cover politics" and "was able to get a lot of stories that other people couldn't get."

Kathleen "Kathy" Orr is a meteorologist, for the Fox 29 Weather Authority team on WTXF in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Howard (news anchor)</span> American journalist

Marc Howard is a retired longtime Philadelphia news anchor. He last anchored at KYW-TV beginning in 2003 when he fronted the late newscasts, but soon only anchored the 4 p.m. news.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wee Willie Webber</span> Radio and TV personality

Bill "Wee Willie" Webber was an American radio and television personality and pioneer. Webber worked in radio and television in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, region for more than 50 years.

References

  1. "KYW-TV's Kane Calls It Quits". December 2, 2002.
  2. "My Philadelphia Story: Larry Kane". June 2005.
  3. Neal, Rome (February 11, 2009). "Larry Kane's 'Ticket To Ride'". CBS News. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  4. Meagher, L.D. (December 7, 2005). "Review: Lennon, 'Revealed' and remembered". CNN. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  5. "Reviews – Beatles: When They Were Boys". Larrykane.com. June 16, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  6. Ono, Yoko, ed. (2005). Memories of John Lennon. HarperCollins. pp.  115–116. ISBN   0-06-059455-1.
  7. WABC 11 PM News - July 14, 1977 (special blackout edition) on YouTube, accessed May 1, 2016
  8. "Larry Kane, now making it up in 'Death by Deadline'". Philadelphia Daily News. June 4, 2011. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  9. "Board of Trustees". National MS Society. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  10. "National Adoption Center". WordPress.com. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  11. "Honorary Chairman Larry Kane and ASB Celebrate The 53rd Annual Louis Braille Awards". Associated Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired. Retrieved July 13, 2013.