The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

(Left to right) Vince Leonard & Bill Freeland
WRCV-TV
1958

Broadcast Pioneers member Vince Leonard says: The photo of me ...was taken sometime in 1958 at our studios on Walnut Street. The stage manager is Bill Freeland. I was more than slightly underweight at the time. Vince was the main anchor at Channel 3 from 1958 to 1980.

The Walnut Street location Vince talked about was at 1619 Walnut in Center City and built in 1938. Westinghouse (owners of KYW) designers constructed the building in such a way that it could be later used for television, should the need arise. Westinghouse didn't get a TV station in Philly for 15 years. However, they did lease space in the structure to Philco, which was the original owner of Channel 3. In 1953, Philco sold WPTZ to Westinghouse. (Convenient since the station was already in their building.) Channel 3 stayed at that location until 1972.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com