PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — It was an entrance fit only for Jim Gardner.
Accompanied by the Radnor Township Police in a high-flying Chopper 6, Jim headed to Action News for his last broadcast at 6pm on Wednesday.
But it was heartbreaking for the Action News family to see our leader of more than four decades step in for the last time.
Action News viewers gathered outside our studios starting at 4:00 PM for a tailgate of sorts. Jim even made a special appearance before his final time in the lead chair.
When he first arrived in Philadelphia at age 27 from a Buffalo station, 6abc did just two hours of news a day. The station grew to become the dominant news station in the region.
It was a year ago that Jim announced that he would be stepping down from the 11pm newscast and handing over the reins are being handed to Rick Williams.
Last year, he was still anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast. He will pass it baton to Brian Taff early Thursday.
While saying goodbye to the Action News family, Jim shared one of the things he will miss the most.
“And I said to my wife today, I’m really going to have a problem with who do I talk to? Who do I interact with? What about human-to-human communication from tomorrow? It’s going to be an adjustment, but you know, we’re all adjusting,” he said.
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