John Morris named 6abc president and general manager
John Morris was named president and general manager of 6abc/WPVI-TV in Philadelphia on Thursday, moving the longtime station executive into the top job at the ABC-owned outlet. Chad Matthews, president of ABC Owned Television Stations, announced the appointment.
Morris has spent his career at the station and most recently served as vice president of Multiplatform Programming, a role that put him over the station's digital platforms and some of its best-known local programming. He said he was ready to build on the station's reach across television and digital platforms.
Chad Matthews names Morris
Matthews said, "John brings more than three decades of experience, deep institutional knowledge, and a proven track record of multiplatform leadership to the role". He added, "He understands what makes WPVI so trusted and successful, and he's exactly the right leader to strengthen that foundation and expand the station's impact across platforms."
That promotion keeps the station's leadership in the hands of someone who has already been running a large part of its multiplatform work. Morris's appointment in 2017 as vice president of Multiplatform Programming coincided with the merger of WPVI's digital operations and programming departments.
Bernie Prazenica retires
The job opened after Bernie Prazenica retired earlier this year following 17 years as president and general manager. Prazenica worked more than four decades with ABC Owned Television Stations before stepping aside.
Morris began at WPVI-TV in 1993 as a news writer for Action News, spent over 23 years in the news department and later served as a newscast producer and executive producer for Philadelphia's top-rated newscasts. He also oversaw news productions for out-of-market events across the country and on five continents.
WPVI's local reach
Morris said, "I'm proud and humbled to lead an outstanding team that makes such a powerful and positive impact on Philadelphia every day, while consistently leading the market in ratings and growing new audiences across our digital platforms". He added, "I'm energized by the opportunity to build on this legacy of impactful local journalism and to keep finding new ways to serve our audiences on every platform."
His background also includes guiding FYI Philly, Visions, numerous local specials throughout the year and The 6abc Thanksgiving Day Parade, which the station describes as the nation's oldest Thanksgiving Day parade at more than 100 years old. Morris is a Philadelphia native and a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with degrees in Journalism and Politics and Government.
For viewers and digital audiences, the change puts a familiar station leader at the top of a newsroom and programming operation that has already been tied together for years. The station's next test is how Morris uses that experience to extend the same reach across on-air and digital platforms.
