Local
Larry Kane, Philadelphia Broadcast Legend Who Interviewed Beatles and MLK, Retires After 69 Years
Larry Kane, the original anchor of 6ABC's 'Action News' and a fixture in Philadelphia journalism for nearly seven decades, has retired at 84. He interviewed eight presidents, two popes, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and famously brought John Lennon to the station's studios in 1975.
Larry Kane, the pioneering Philadelphia broadcaster whose career spanned 69 years and included interviews with eight presidents, two popes, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, has retired at age 84. Kane spent the past 23 years as a special contributor and radio commentator for KYW Newsradio, capping a career that made him one of the most recognizable voices in the region.
Born in Brooklyn, Kane began his broadcasting career in Miami radio at 15 and moved to Philadelphia in 1965 to become an anchor for WFIL Radio and WFIL-TV, which later became 6ABC (WPVI-TV). In 1970, at age 26, he became the face of the station's new 'Action News' format, helping to create its conversational style and coining the tagline, 'The big story on Action News is ...' The fast-paced newscast, with its strict 90-second story limits and expanded regional coverage, reshaped local television news.
Before arriving in Philadelphia, Kane was the first U.S. news correspondent to break the story of the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba in 1961 while based in Miami, tipped off by friends in the Cuban exile community. He also became the only American journalist invited to travel on every stop of the Beatles' 1964-65 North American tour after writing a letter to band manager Brian Epstein. His coverage sparked a decades-long connection with the band, which he chronicled in two books.
In 1975, Kane invited John Lennon to 6ABC's studios to help promote WFIL Radio's annual Helping Hand Marathon benefiting people with disabilities. Lennon met with thousands of fans, took pledge calls, and famously delivered a television weather report during his three days in the city.
Kane hosted numerous mayoral debates in Philadelphia and won the Alfred I. duPontâColumbia University Award for his coverage of the 1985 MOVE bombing. He also received multiple Emmy Awards, including a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Board of Governors Award in 2005 recognizing his lifetime achievements. He is the region's only news anchor to have worked at all three of 6ABC, NBC10, and CBS3 at various points in his career. He also worked briefly for ABC News in New York in the late 1970s, covering the 1977 blackout and anchoring primetime national news segments while commuting from Philadelphia.
Over the years, Kane has been an advocate for charities including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Adoption Center, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Kane told the Philadelphia Business Journal he decided to retire to spend more time with his six grandchildren and because his voice has softened with age. In his final commentary for KYW Newsradio, he warned about the importance of protecting press freedom and sustaining sources of local news in an industry hit by financial challenges and layoffs.
In a statement distributed by Audacy, which owns KYW Newsradio, Kane said he looks forward to the next chapter of his life after a long and distinguished career.
'It's been just the greatest experience, but I'm happy that I'm stopping it now,' Kane said.