And the luncheons keep on coming. Hit after Hit! Smash after smash! Blockbuster after Blockbuster. And Wednesday, March 17th will be no exception. Our topic is "40 Years of Action News." WPVI-TV will celebrate the beginning of their 41st year only a couple weeks after this event. It all takes place at the beautiful Bala Golf Club, 2200 Belmont Avenue in Philadelphia! Just minutes away from Channels 6, 10 and 17 plus the radio stations in Bala Cynwyd.

We're Filling Up Fast! (856) 365-5600!

Our moderator will be Broadcast Pioneers member Larry Kane, who anchored the very first Channel 6, Action News broadcast.

Our panel will include:

Mike Davis, the genius behind those promos like "There Goes That News Van"
Marc Howard, Action News anchor for a quarter of a century
Lew Klein, longtime Channel 6 Executive/co-owner of Gateway Communications
Steve Levy, Anchor and Sports Reporter for Action News, 1975 to 1981
Monica Malpass, current 5 pm WPVI-TV "Action News" Anchor
Matt O'Donnell, current weekday morning Anchor for "Action News"
Joe Pellegrino, former Sports Director for the station, 1976 to 1982
Don Tollefson, former Sports Director and anchor for 15 years at WPVI-TV

(856) 365-5600! Reserve Right Now!

Our Board Member Bob Kravitz, photojournalist for Action News for decades will be making introductory remarks. Plus, live on the telephone from his home in South Carolina will be "Action News' First Meteorlogist," Dr. Francis Davis.

Plus laughs a minute with Les Waas telling us all about the "Best Kept Secret of the Broadcast Pioneers." Les is a former president of this organization so he should know (but in reality, does he?)

Call Immediately, if not Sooner! (856) 365-5600!

Make your reservations now by calling (856) 365-5600! Meet and greet (networking) starts at 12 noon with a full-course lunch including salad, coffee or tea and dessert being served at 12:30 pm. There's also a crudité and cheese table. Cash bar available! The cost is only $25 per person and is open to all our members, any person in the industry or associated fields; both people now active and retirees. You do NOT have to be a member to attend. Make your reservations now by calling (856) 365-5600. It's going to be a great turn out. Attending this luncheon is the biggest "no-brainer" on the planet! Be there and say hi to old friends (and make some new ones).

Bill Seibel
1959

Broadcast Pioneers Member and former Vice-President of this organization Dr. Gordon Gray reports that Bill Seibel has passed away. Gray, who was a professor of communications and chairman of the Radio-TV-Film Department at Temple University, tells us that his former Temple colleague Bill Seibel died. Gray says in an e-mail dated March 9th: "Just learned that Bill Seibel died this morning."

(Top to bottom) Mary Kreiner and Bill Seibel
in the new Instructional Television Studios at Temple University
Curtis Hall
1960

From 1955 to 1962, Bill was the faculty advisor for the campus radio stations, WRTI AM (carrier current) and WRTI-FM (over the air FM station). Sometimes in the campus radio station program guides, he was listed as the Station's Operations Manager. Bill was a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.

In the Summer 1965 issue of the Temple University Alumni Review, Jay Strassberg, a Temple Alumand co-ordinator for the Radio-TV Relations Department, Office of Public Affairs for the university wrote:

When the University established the Office of Instructional Television (ITV) in 1961..., Temple was the first educational institution in the Delaware Valley to utilize the electronic teaching medium.

Director of the ITV office is William H. Seibel, a veteran broadcaster, educator, and a member of the Department of Communications faculty. Under Seibel's leadership, ITV has expanded rapidly in order to keep pace with the constantly increasing demands being made of it.

....The closed-circuit course offerings are broadcast during two of the three hour-long class meetings a week....Previously located in Barton Hall (and before that in Curtis Hall), the ITV studio was moved this summer to new and larger quarters in recently completed Ritter Hall, the College of Education building. 15 classrooms in Ritter Hall are equipped with ITV monitors, and nearly every classroom and laboratory in the new structure is easily adaptable as a receiving and/or transmitting point for ITV...."

Currently, we have no further details. When we have them, we'll post them here, so keep checking back.

(Left to right) Caroline Welch, Linda Munich, Pat Delsi, John Morris & Erica Grow
Broadcast Pioneers' Career Night at Temple University
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Once again, it's time for another one of our College Student Career Nights. This year, it'll again be on the campus of Temple University. However, this event is open to all college students regardless of what college or university they attend. The date is Tuesday, March 23rd from 6 to 8 pm in Annenberg Hall. The event is free! No reservations needed. Just show up!

Are you wondering what this event is all about? Visit our pages on past Career Nights!

March 3, 2009 - Temple University

October 24, 2007 - Villanova University

November 2, 2006 - LaSalle Unversity

November 14, 2005 - Temple University

November 9, 2004 - Rowan University

October 1, 2003 - Cabrini College

Our 12 scholarship winners
April 2009

For over three months, we have been accepting applications for our 2010 scholarship competition. Deadline has now passed. This year, we will be giving away thirteen $1,000 scholarships to area college students. This is a record amount for our organization. This year, we received over 300 applications, again a record.

What happens next? Our scholarship committee will meet on Tuesday, February 23rd to choose 26 finalists. Those finalists will be notified within 48 hours. We do not post finalists' names on our website. We will, however, list the 13 winners of the scholarships on this site during the beginning of April.

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia since our beginning in 1962 has maintained archival material of broadcast related items for our market. Help us save our past! Please!

We are looking for donated materials. If you have or know of anyone willing to contribute any broadcast memorabilia, please contact us at 856-365-5600 or e-mail the Broadcast Pioneers at pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com. This would include photos, scans, audio, video and articles. This material may also be used on our website.