The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Broadcast Pioneers member Orien Reid won the respect of business and local radio and television viewers for 26 years in broadcasting as a television and radio consumer reporter. She has an extensive background in communications, public affairs, special events and community relations. Almost 20 years ago she formed a media consulting business, Consumer Connection allowing her to serve as consumer spokesperson for Wakefern Food Corporation, the parent company of ShopRite Supermarkets, a position in which she recently retired.

She began her broadcasting career at KYW Newsradio in 1972 and joined KYW-TV in 1973. Over the years Philadelphians came to respect her investigative and service news reports on radio and television. She was the first broadcaster in the country to begin a monthly supermarket pricing survey monitoring food prices during the intense inflationary period of 1973-1974.

In 1979, she joined WCAU-TV where her investigative reports included specials on the personal care home industry, wreck chasing methods used by local auto body shops, risks in casino valet parking, home security fraud, taxicab overcharges, home and auto repair fraud, fortune teller swindles, and investigations of the poultry and seafood industry. Orien was also known for her service news reports, which included a sensitive examination of issues affecting baby-boomers in the sandwich generation responsible for caring for elderly parents and young children. She also developed the Greater Philadelphia area’s first weekly food pricing survey called “The Market Basket Report” which was very popular with television viewers and well respected by those in the food industry.

Professional Achievements include former President of the Philadelphia Consumer Council; former Board of Governors Member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; several Emmy nominations; Philadelphia Press Association Award for Best Investigative Reporting; Institute of Food Technologist Award for Excellence in Journalism; and a variety of other awards recognizing community and professional achievements.

Orien has also gained respect for her volunteer work with the Alzheimer’s Association. In 1991, she organized the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania's first Memory Walk which raised $120,000. As Chair of the 1997 Memory Walk for the Greater Philadelphia region she helped to raise $436,000. This total was 74% higher than the prior year.

From 1999-2002, she served as Chairman of the National Board of Directors of the Alzheimer's Association, headquartered in Chicago, IL. She is the first woman to chair one of the largest voluntary health associations in the United States. The November 2002 issue of Woman’s Day magazine selected Orien as one of 4 women to receive the national “Women Who Inspire Us” award.

From 2005-2008 she served as chairman of Alzheimer’s Disease International a federation of 77 member Alzheimer associations around the world headquartered in London, UK. Her three-year tenure saw growth in ADI’s profile and fundraising.

Since 2003, Orien has been a member of the External Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging (IOA), where she served as Chair of this volunteer body for many years. The Board brings together over thirty professional, academic, and civic leaders committed to advancing the IOA’s mission of improving the health and quality of life for older adults through clinical and basic science research in aging as well as educational programs that focus on normal aging and age-related diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine and across the entire Penn campus.

Orien earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Clark College and a Masters Degree from the Atlanta University School of Social Work in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon graduation she worked for two years in a child guidance clinic receiving training as both an adolescent and adult group psychotherapist. She also spent two years as a social worker for the Follow Through Program for the School District of Philadelphia.

Orien resides with her husband, Charlie Nix in King of Prussia, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Her other civic activities include former advisory board member, National Advisory Council on Aging (2007-2010), National Institutes of Health Council of Councils (2007-2010), University of Pennsylvania External Advisory Board for the Institute on Aging, Dickens Auxiliary Board of Abington Memorial Hospital, Charter Member, Montgomery County of Pennsylvania Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; Member of Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.