John Fedko

John Fedko is an American sportscaster. He is a sports director and anchor for Channel 11 Pittsburgh (WPXI). Fedko reports for Channel 11 News at 6 and 11 PM, and hosts The Fedko Fone Zone, a local sports call-in show on Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (PCNC).[1][2]

Fedko was voted "Pittsburgh's favorite sportscaster" by Pittsburgh magazine.[2] He is especially popular during high school football season.[3] In 1995, he was the second-most recognizable personality in Pittsburgh, two percentage points behind KDKA-TV's Patti Burns.[4] Fedko's popularity has also brought criticism; some within the broadcasting community find his "goofy, self-aggrandizing shtick" "annoying".[5]

Contents

Biography

Fedko was born in Lawton, Oklahoma to John and Catherine Fedko.[2][4] He has three sisters.[4] The family moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1972,[4] where he attended Trinity High School in Camp Hill.[2][4] In 1977, Fedko's family moved to Orange County, California, and Fedko entered the University of California, Irvine,[4] but later transferred to University of Southern California.

Broadcasting career

Fedko began creating home skits at the age of nine.[4] In his early twenties, Fedko sought to become a celebrity by moving into television.[4] Fedko became a TV weatherman and sportscaster in the Midland–Odessa metropolitan area.[4] When the sports director died, Fedko was promoted to sports director at the age of 23.[4] Fedko next moved to Amarillo, Texas, then Milwaukee, then finally to Pittsburgh.

Fedko announced his retirement from broadcasting in December 2010. He named Kenneth Phillabaum as his successor as host of the Fedko Fone Zone, but the show was canceled before Phillabaum could take over.

President of Vincentian Academy

On July 21, 2011, it was announced that Fedko had been appointed as the new president of Vincentian Academy, a four-year Catholic college preparatory school in McCandless. A press release by the school noted that Fedko would be operating in the role of "Chief Communicator", and principal Sr. Camille Panich noted that he would be working to "help generate even greater awareness of our academy."[6]

References

  1. ^ "Fedko Fone Zone". Pittsburgh Cable News Channel. http://www.wpxi.com/pcnc/1909311/detail.html. Retrieved 2007-03-08. 
  2. ^ a b c d "John Fedko - WPXI-TV". WPXI. http://www.wpxi.com/station/1900853/detail.html. Retrieved 2007-03-08. 
  3. ^ Burgess, Kelly (1997-11-09). "Fedko boosts teens' talents, says keep trying". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:PPGB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EADFC6607180F4B&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815. Retrieved 2007-03-08. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Finder, Chuck (1995-10-12). "When it comes to friday night football in Western Pennsylvania, this is a market that has become ... Fedko's own". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:PPGB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EADF841DB790FD3&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815. Retrieved 2007-03-08. 
  5. ^ Bianco, Robert (1994-10-25). "On WTAE, A lead story that goes to the dogs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:PPGB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0EADF589B4EAF7A6&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815. Retrieved 2007-03-08. 
  6. ^ "Vincentian Academy Welcomes New President". Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. July 21, 2011. http://www.scnfamily.org/news/index.php?id=8992603596206305884. Retrieved July 22, 2011.