Bernie Prazenica, the President and General Manager of the Walt Disney Company’s local TV station in Philadelphia, is retiring after nearly two decades at the outlet.
Prazenica’s retirement from WPVI (Channel 6) was announced in an all-staff memo sent on Tuesday. He joined WPVI as its top executive in 2007 after serving in the same role at WTVD (Channel 11), the ABC-owned station in North Carolina.
His career in broadcasting began in 1982 at WPTT-TV (Channel 22, now WPNT) in Pittsburgh, followed by a role at WXEX-TV (Channel 8, ABC, now WRIC-TV) in Richmond, Virginia. Prazenica’s time at ABC began in 1994, when he joined WPVI as its Director of Sales.
During his time as WPVI’s General Manager, Prazenica oversaw major investments in technology and infrastructure, including the 2009 completion of a 110,000-square-foot, all-digital broadcast facility built next to the station’s longtime home at City and Monument Avenues. Under his leadership, WPVI continued its position as one of the highest-rated news stations in the Philadelphia market.
Prazenica is the longest-serving general manager in WPVI’s history.
“Bernie is that wonderful combination of no-nonsense, roll up your sleeve practicality, competitive drive and compassion that make a great leader,” said Debra OConnell, the President of ABC News Group & Disney Entertainment Networks. “Whether he is helping to produce a Presidential debate as he did last fall, broadcasting the country’s oldest Thanksgiving Day parade or coming up with a unique and creative hometown story angle for ‘Abbot Elementary,’ his contributions have been immense.”
Chad Matthews, the President of ABC Owned Television Stations, called Prazenica “among the best of the best,” noting his role as “a champion of innovation, a deeply involved member of the Philadelphia community and a tenacious standard-bearer for straightforward, essential journalism.”
Matthews added that Prazenica’s team believes “he cared about WPVI and Philadelphia more than anyone they have ever met,” and said the station’s decades-long ratings dominance reflected the caliber of his leadership.
The full memo sent to WPVI employees from Prazenica is below:
When I started my first job at WPVI back in 1982, I felt like I had truly arrived in the big time. Few stations in the country could match Channel 6’s ratings, reputation for excellence, and spirit of innovation. Forty-three years later, I’ve decided to retire at the end of this year. It’s a difficult decision, but I’m ready – and I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings.
It has been one of the great privileges of my life to be part of the incredible legacy of WPVI, and an honor to work alongside all of you. As I’ve often said, our success is not about any one person – it’s about all of you, in every department and position across the station, bringing your talent, energy, and determination to win each and every day.
I’d need at least two more pages to properly thank everyone for the support, encouragement, and friendship I’ve been blessed with over the years. But I do want to call out a few special thanks: to Debra OConnell and Chad Matthews for their outstanding leadership; to my fellow GMs across OTV for being both a source of inspiration and many good laughs; and to my extraordinary leadership team at 6abc, whose vision and dedication ensure that Channel 6 will remain strong and successful long into the future.
Of course, I could never have done this without my family. My wife, Patty, has been my greatest supporter, my best advisor, and the one who so graciously tolerated my other “significant other” – the station itself. Our kids, Caitlin and Michael, grew up knowing that our TVs only seemed to work when turned to 6abc or Disney – and they accepted it with good humor. These days, I’m a little less demanding with my three grandkids, Amelia, David, and Alan – they get to watch whatever they like!
I’ll be around for a few more months, and I plan to savor that time. I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible to personally thank you for all you’ve done in support of WPVI over “my” years. As I step away, I carry with me deep gratitude, cherished memories, and enormous pride in what we’ve accomplished together.
Thank you for making this journey so meaningful – and for letting me be part of such a remarkable team.
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