6abc lands a Philly native to lead ‘Action News’ after predecessor’s abrupt exit
Nneka Nwosu heads to Philly from Chicago to take over as news director, where among other things she'll oversee Cecily Tynan's successor.
After more than five months, 6abc finally has a news director.
The station announced Nneka Nwosu, a Philadelphia native currently serving as the vice president of marketing and local programming at sister-station WLS in Chicago, will take over running the Action News newsroom.
6abc President John Morris announced the move to staff in an email Tuesday afternoon, noting that Nwosu is such a big Eagles fan “their 2018 Super Bowl win may have actually sent her into labor with one of her sons.”
“Running the news department at the station I grew up watching is surreal!” Nwosu wrote on LinkedIn, adding she was “thrilled to be coming home.”
Nwosu spent the past four years in Chicago, previously serving as one of the station’s assistant news directors. Prior to that, she spent eight years at Boston ABC affiliate WCVB.
At 6abc, Nwosu is inheriting the city’s most-watch newscast dating back more than 40 years. Her first day in the newsroom will be Oct. 5, and among her first tasks will be overseeing a new chief meteorologist following Cecily Tynan’s retirement, who delivered her final forecast Monday after more than three decades at the station.
» READ MORE: 6abc’s Cecily Tynan discusses her surprise retirement, sealed after a brief bout with vertigo
Nwosu is filling the spot vacated by the sudden departure of Tom Davis, who abruptly departed in March after more than two decades at 6abc.
In a note to staff, Chad Matthews, the president of ABC’s eight owned and operated TV stations, wrote Davis “made the decision to leave 6abc” and thanked him “for his years of service to the station.”
Davis could not be reached for comment. He spent 15 years as news director, maintaining the station’s place as the region’s most-watched newscast. He also served as an assistant news director at the station for seven years before that.
In a separate move, Morris also announced Mike Amato had been promoted to the vice president of technology. The Drexel grad has been with the station since 2015, and prior to that he spent nine years at NBC Sports Philadelphia.
6abc still threatened by Trump administration
Nwosu and 6abc also face the threat of being taken off the air by President Donald Trump’s administration.
ABC’s parent company, Disney, is currently locked in a legal fight as the Federal Communications Commission considers whether to take away the company’s eight owned-and-operated stations in the wake of a Jimmy Kimmel joke involving first lady Melania Trump.
The FCC contends the unusual early review of the eight station’s broadcast licenses stems from an earlier investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Disney, citing “the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination.”
It’s unclear if and when the government will take action. The FCC’s final deadline for public comments was Aug. 5, and respondents were overwhelmingly supportive of 6abc and the network’s other local stations.
Trump also recently called on the FCC to punish NBC and Philly native Kristen Welker, the moderator of Meet the Press, over a TV segment where she said the president had “mixed results” backing candidates this election cycle.
The FCC is also investigating NBC and its parent company, Comcast, over the company’s DEI policies and how it handles its owned and operated affiliates, including NBC10.
Anna Gomez, the only remaining FCC commissioner appointed by a Democrat, wrote “the FCC has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like.”
