Recognizing, Honoring, Celebrating, and Thanking Dave Roberts on the Occasion of his Retirement as Action News Weatherman and Broadcaster.

WHEREAS, Mr. Roberts began his professional career at Syracuse University, where he studied Speech and Dramatic Arts and majored in English and Communications; and

WHEREAS, In fall 1953, Mr. Roberts worked at two radio stations in Syracuse, WAER-FM, and then later at WOLF-AM. In 1956, Roberts began his television career on Christmas Eve at WBUF-TV, the NBC-owned station in Buffalo, New York; and

WHEREAS, In 1958, Mr. Roberts was drafted, and while serving in Panama, worked as the News Director of the U. S. Army for the Caribbean Forces Radio-TV Network in the Panama Canal Zone and later, also broadcasted on Armed Forces Radio in New York City; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Roberts, one of the most trusted and beloved personalities in local television history joined WPVI on May 15th, 1978, as co-host of Channel 6's AM Philadelphia, a new morning talk show, and Action News' Weather Anchor for the noon newscast, was most often seen on the 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm newscasts, the most watched in the tri-state area, and co-hosted his final 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26, 2009, and his final Action News AccuWeather forecast on December 11, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Roberts is active in many organizations including Variety - The Children's Charity and the Knights of Columbus, where he is a Fourth Degree Knight. His charity work includes Catholic Charity Drives, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Lupus Foundation, and the Children's' Hospital of Philadelphia. He also served as a host of the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon on 6abc; and

WHEREAS, In 2000, Mr. Roberts was named “Person of the Year” by the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers and was inducted into the Pioneers' Hall of Fame, and in 2001, was also inducted into the Buffalo New York Broadcasters' Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, In May, 2002, Mr. Roberts received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Holy Family College in Philadelphia, and in May, 2004, was awarded the Whitney M. Young, Jr., Service Award from the Boy Scouts for "unselfish service to the youth of America."

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it recognizes, honors, celebrates, and thanks Dave Roberts on the occasion of his retirement as Action News Weatherman and Broadcaster.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Dave Roberts, further evidencing the sincere admiration and gratitude of this legislative body.

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