'Good Day' gets new face
Chris Murphy will join Karen Hepp on the "Good Day Philadelphia" desk.
CHRIS MURPHY will join the early edition of Fox 29's "Good Day Philadelphia," from 4:25 to 6 a.m. weekdays.
Murphy comes to Philly from San Diego, where he was a weekend anchor and reporter. In 2004, he hosted "Travel Gear" on the Discovery Channel.
Murphy called the early "Good Day" his dream job, saying that he is excited to move his wife and two children across the country for this new venture. The kids aren't as excited about the gig. It's the snow they're looking forward to.
Sure, kids. Call me in February when you haven't seen the sun in months and we'll talk.
Murphy will eventually co-anchor with Karen Hepp when she gets back from maternity leave in the fall.
Layoffs at 6ABC?
The Los Angeles Times got wind of restructuring efforts happening at Disney/ABC Television Group, which includes all local affiliates, including our own 6ABC.
The approximately 175 layoffs are concentrated at the local TV stations and the technical departments at their broadcast and cable networks.
Is beloved 6ABC safe? A spokesman for the station said he could not comment on personnel matters.
The Times piece notes that the ABC News division cut 25 percent of its workforce in 2010, which did not stop "Good Morning America" from overtaking the "Today" show in ratings, nor did it stop its evening newscast, "World News Tonight," from gaining on NBC's iteration.
Clean machine
Want to go to Made in America but don't want to shell out the cash? Head to Penn's Landing (201 Columbus Blvd.) on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. to help clean up Philly's waterways. Put in the time and get a ticket for either Aug. 31 or Sept. 1 on Labor Day weekend. Tickets for one day will be distributed post-cleaning. For more info, check out budweiser.com/made-in-america/ambf/Philadelphia.
* Speaking of Made in America, if headliner Beyonce is not your thing, you may be deaf. But if you're not, you're in luck. Although the Jay Z-curated festival has a killer lineup, there are no Philly acts. The Blockley (3801 Chestnut St.) is hosting Made in Philly on Friday, Aug. 30, featuring a bill of Philadelphia-only acts. Hot 107.9's own Q Deezy will host the night of local talent.
Tickets are $20, considerably cheaper than Made in America prices. For more info, check out madeconcert.com.
Meet Dr. King
NBC10 at 10 a.m. Saturday will broadcast the entirety of a Aug. 25, 1963, episode of "Meet the Press" featuring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and NAACP executive director Roy Wilkins. The episode originally aired just three days before the March on Washington, where King gave his famed "I Have a Dream" speech. Clips are nice, but this is a full piece of history preserved. The 50th anniversary of the speech is Wednesday.
The Sporting life
* Iron Hill Brewery will honor Chip Kelly's first Eagles season with a new namesake burger, featuring Oregon bleu cheese, red-onion confit, crushed potato chips and mushroom spread. Snap up the burger on Sept. 8 and 9. The burger will run you $13.50. There are 10 Iron Hill locations throughout the area.
* The Phillies Nation is hosting a party for Charlie Manuel. The former Phillies coach will be at the Field House (1150 Filbert St.) at 5 p.m. Friday to greet well-wishers and fans. There will be drink and food specials, as well as trivia.
* The Sixers are hosting open calls for the Flight Team on Monday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (4170 City Ave.) at 6 p.m. Trickers, gymnasts and acrobats are all welcome to try out. For more info, check out nba.com/sixers/flightsquad/auditions.
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