Creator of Action News Has Died

By Kevin Eck 

Former WPVI news director Melvin Kampmann, the man credited with creating the Action News format has died. He was 85 and suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Kampmann came up with the term Action News and created the format while working as the news director at WPVI in Philadelphia in the 1970s. Action News is described as having a “tight format with strict time limits on set packages, a focus on surrounding suburbs, and a focus on young talent.”

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He started his career in Los Angeles and also worked in San Francisco, Denver, Philadelphia, Fargo and Washington, D.C. He became a news consultant after retiring form broadcasting.

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