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Keith Russell leaving Action News


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Looks like Keith Russell is leaving 6ABC and heading off to DC. I find it weird that he's leaving the main sports anchor position at the #1 station in his hometown which also happens to be the 4th biggest market, for some place in DC which is a smaller market than Philly.

 

Also, this effectively reduces 6ABC's sports department down to one (Jeff Skversky) as Jamie Apody will probably be giving birth any day now and be going on maternity leave. I assume Jeff will take over weekday duties until Jamie returns, at which time it would just make sense to give her the 6&11 duties in addition to the 5. Have Chad Pradelli fill in for Jeff on the weekends until he's done filling in during the week. Personally, I don't think they need a third sports person.

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Looks like Keith Russell is leaving 6ABC and heading off to DC. I find it weird that he's leaving the main sports anchor position at the #1 station in his hometown which also happens to be the 4th biggest market, for some place in DC which is a smaller market than Philly.

 

Also, this effectively reduces 6ABC's sports department down to one (Jeff Skversky) as Jamie Apody will probably be giving birth any day now and be going on maternity leave. I assume Jeff will take over weekday duties until Jamie returns, at which time it would just make sense to give her the 6&11 duties in addition to the 5. Have Chad Pradelli fill in for Jeff on the weekends until he's done filling in during the week. Personally, I don't think they need a third sports person.

 

Walter Perez has filled in as a sports anchor in the past and I'm sure they'll have him go again.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Keith Russell will actually be switching to a news anchor role at WRC-TV in Washington, DC starting August 1st.

http://www.tvnewsche...washington-news

 

HE'S ANCHORING?! WHAT THE HELL?!

 

Edit:In more erudite terms, Keith Russell tried hard, so very hard, to bring the ESPN schtick to Philadelphia. Bad puns, overly vivid metaphors, catchphrases, etc. It's why I wasn't exactly sad to see him go - our sportscasters are usually smooth and relaxed (Beasley Reese, Don Tollefson, Vai Sikahema), or obvious fans (John Clark, Michael Barkann, Gary Papa). Keith, however, tried to be the local Chris Berman or Stuart Scott and it didn't quite click with me.

 

I know there's been some successful shifts from sports to news. Ukee Washington crossed over supremely well. So did Don Tollefson before they moved him back to sports. And whatever you think about Chris Wragge, he managed to go from sports to news quite well.

 

I... just can't see Keith making the leap. Not from seeing him on a daily basis for the last several years. Not with as much ESPN schtick as he laid on those newscasts. That's going to require a realllll hard move out of that Bristol comfort zone. If he can do it, I'd be shocked and amazed.

 

So, yeah, all I have to say is "Good Luck". (WRC streams right?)

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Keith Russell will actually be switching to a news anchor role at WRC-TV in Washington, DC starting August 1st.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/60941/keith-russell-joins-wrc-washington-news

Umm...what? Ooh well, I'll miss him. He had a very energetic demeanor and a love for Philly. And he really knew how to do sports well. And now Washington is taking him away. God I'll will miss him...and his "espn shtick".

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  • 10 months later...

According to DCRTV.com Keith Russell is out at Channel 4. Seems like a dispute between him and management.

 

"A source tells NewsBlues, "Management met with him last week and told him they would be using their option to get rid of him in July (his one-year at station) but wanted to tell him early so he had enough time to find a new job." Russell, who did sports anchoring at WPVI, reportedly "told bosses that he didn't want to be in a place that didn't want him and would rather leave immediately."

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