New Boss Named in Philly

On the same day that FTVLive posted this story, WPVI named a new General Manager at the ABC O&O.

Longtime 6abc/WPVI-TV executive John W. Morris has been named the new station president and general manager of the Philadelphia ABC owned-and-operated station.

Chad Matthews, president of ABC Owned Television Stations, announced the appointment today, elevating a local television veteran who has spent more than three decades in the industry. In his new role, Morris will oversee the overall management of the station, set its editorial vision, and guide the teams driving audience and content strategy across both broadcast and digital platforms.

Morris steps into the top job after most recently serving as vice president of multiplatform programming at WPVI. In that position, which he assumed in 2017, he successfully merged the station's digital operations and programming departments to foster a fully integrated, cross-platform newsroom. During his tenure leading programming, he directed signature content such as the lifestyle series "FYI Philly," the community affairs program "Visions," and local specials including the century-old "6abc Thanksgiving Day Parade."

A Philadelphia native with deep roots in the community, Morris's career with WPVI began in 1993 as an Action News writer. Over the course of 23 years in the newsroom, he worked his way up through the ranks, serving as a newscast producer and executive producer for the market-leading newscasts. Beyond the local market, he managed news production for out-of-market events across the country and on five continents.

Morris is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where he earned degrees in Journalism and Politics and Government. Before returning to Philadelphia, he launched his professional career at WSYX-TV in Columbus, Ohio. He takes over leadership at a station that consistently ranks at the top of the Philadelphia television market, with a mandate to maintain its legacy of impactful local journalism while expanding its multiplatform reach.