Jessica Savitch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Savitch
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Jessica Beth Savitch
February 1, 1947 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
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| Died | October 23, 1983 (aged 36) New Hope, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Ithaca College |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
| Years active | 1968–1983 |
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Jessica Beth Savitch (February 1, 1947 – October 23, 1983) was an American television journalist. She was a weekend anchor for NBC Nightly News. She also read the news daily for NBC News in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Jessica Savitch was one of the first women to anchor a network evening newscast by herself. She also hosted Frontline, a PBS show, from its start in January 1983 until her death.
Savitch was well-liked by viewers and was very good at reading the news on camera. Before joining NBC News, she was a popular local anchorwoman in Philadelphia. Even earlier, at a Houston TV station, she became the first female news anchor in the South.
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Early Life and First Steps in Media
Jessica Savitch was born on February 1, 1947, in Wilmington, Delaware. She was the oldest daughter of Florence, a navy nurse, and David Savitch, who owned a clothing store. Her father passed away when Jessica was 12 years old.
After her father's death, her family moved to Margate City, New Jersey. While attending Atlantic City High School, Jessica got a job. She co-hosted a rock music show for teens on radio station WOND. Soon, she also became a newsreader and disc jockey for the station. She was the first female disc jockey in that area.
College and Early Radio Work
After high school, Savitch went to Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. She studied communications. She worked as an announcer for the college's TV station, WICB. She also worked in radio at WBBF in Rochester. There, she did voice-overs for commercials. She became a popular top 40 disc jockey known as "Honeybee." She finished college in 1968. She often returned to Ithaca College to teach a short course on TV news.
Starting Her News Career
New York City Beginnings
In 1969, Savitch started working at WCBS in New York City. This was the main news station for CBS Radio. She worked as an assistant and also helped with production. WCBS did not hire her as a reporter because she had no professional experience.
With permission, Savitch used the WCBS-TV studios to make a TV audition tape. She sent copies to many TV stations across the country. She was looking for a job on air. She received only a few replies and just one job interview.
First Female Anchor in Houston
Even without much experience, Savitch was hired by KHOU-TV in Houston. She became the station's first female reporter. The manager who hired her was impressed by her ambition and her writing and speaking skills. When Savitch arrived at KHOU, she was the only woman in the news department besides a secretary. Her co-workers helped her learn the basics of her job.
A few months later, Savitch tried out for a weekend anchor job and got it. This made her the first female news anchor in the South. She began to develop the formal style of news delivery she became known for. Her report on a train derailment was even shown nationally on the CBS Evening News.
Becoming a Star in Philadelphia
In 1972, Savitch joined KYW-TV in Philadelphia. This station was then connected to NBC. She worked as a general reporter and weekend anchor. She signed a five-year contract. Unlike her previous job, this station had a union. This meant Savitch could only do on-camera newsreading and reporting.
When she couldn't get a weeknight anchor job at first, Savitch tried to leave KYW for a job at CBS in New York. KYW would not let her break her contract. Instead, they raised her salary and made her a weeknight anchor. Savitch soon began anchoring noon news broadcasts too. She became part of a popular team with Mort Crim and Vince Leonard on the 11:00 pm news. Viewers in Philadelphia loved her presence on camera. They felt a special connection with her.
Because of her work at KYW, Savitch became a local celebrity in Philadelphia. People would sometimes crowd around her on the street. Despite her local fame, Savitch wanted to work for a national news network.
NBC was impressed with her and offered her a three-year contract. It started in September 1977. She would be a Washington, D.C. correspondent and anchor. Savitch did her last newscast for KYW in August 1977.
Special News Stories
Savitch was recognized for her multi-part stories on unusual topics. For example, her news director asked her to cover a five-part series on natural childbirth. Savitch and her camera crew followed a local family expecting their second child. The series showed much of the actual birth on Thanksgiving Day in 1973. This made for very powerful television.
Savitch often made her stories personal by becoming part of them. For a series called "Lady Law," she interviewed female police officers from other cities. She also completed training at the Philadelphia Police Academy. She learned to shoot a handgun, jump over barrels, and climb a six-foot wall. This series won Savitch two awards.
Other multi-part series she worked on included: stories about single adults, marriage in Las Vegas, the impact of divorce, and the start and end of life. She also covered skiing in the Pocono Mountains and the "New Philadelphia Sound" in music. She even traveled to Hollywood to interview famous people from Philadelphia who had become stars.
Quick Thinking During a Presidential Debate
In 1976, Savitch gained attention from NBC leaders. She was reporting from a presidential debate between President Gerald Ford and Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter. The debate was held in Philadelphia. An audio line failed, stopping the debate. Three KYW reporters, including Savitch, had to fill 27 minutes of air time until the sound was fixed.
A KYW producer said, "She [Savitch] was very good on her feet. She could think fast and ask the right questions." He added that she had the ability to truly listen to answers. This quick thinking helped her stand out.
National News Career
Joining NBC News
Savitch joined NBC News in 1977. She became a weekend anchor for NBC Nightly News. To show she was more than just a pretty face, NBC also gave her reporting jobs. She even worked briefly as a U.S. Senate correspondent.
Savitch was the second woman at NBC to anchor a weekend national newscast. She later became the first woman to anchor the weeknight NBC Nightly News. She would fill in for the regular anchors, John Chancellor and David Brinkley. She also anchored short NBC News Digest segments. These were about one minute long and aired between prime time shows. Many viewers watched these segments.
She took on more roles at NBC. She was a regular guest on Meet The Press. She also contributed to news magazine shows like Prime Time Saturday and Prime Time Sunday. She even gave comments on the NBC Radio Network. She filled in as anchor for the Today and Tomorrow shows.
As a national anchor, Savitch had a strong presence and became popular with viewers. A 1982 TV Guide poll named her the fourth most trusted news anchor in the country. This was higher than many well-known male anchors. Her success inspired many young women who wanted to be newscasters. They tried to look and sound like her. In 1980, she was one of the twelve most popular speakers in the United States.
Savitch always worked to improve her news reading. She used a voice coach and other methods.
Hosting Frontline on PBS
In January 1983, Savitch began hosting a new show called Frontline. This was a public affairs documentary program on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). She continued to host the show until her death later that year. After her passing, Judy Woodruff took over as host.
A Difficult Broadcast
By 1983, NBC began to focus on other female anchors. In June 1983, NBC moved Savitch from her regular Saturday evening anchor spot. She was replaced by Connie Chung. From then until her death, Savitch's main appearances on NBC were on the NBC News Digest segments.
On October 3, 1983, during an NBC News Digest segment, Savitch had some trouble speaking clearly. She said it was because the teleprompter was not working correctly.
Personal Life
Savitch was married twice and did not have any children. Her first marriage in 1980 to Melvin "Mel" Korn ended in divorce after eleven months.
Savitch's second marriage in March 1981 to Dr. Donald Payne lasted only a few months.
Savitch also had a long-term relationship with TV news executive Ron Kershaw. In the early 1970s, she had a romantic relationship with CBS News journalist Ed Bradley. After their relationship ended, they remained friends and professional colleagues.
According to her biographers, Savitch was a very driven person. She always worked hard to be perfect.
Death
On October 23, 1983, Savitch had dinner with Martin Fischbein, a vice president from the New York Post. They were in New Hope, Pennsylvania. They had been dating for a few weeks. They started to drive home around 7:15 p.m. Fischbein was driving, and Savitch was in the back seat with her dog, Chewy.
It was raining very hard. Fischbein might have missed warning signs. He drove out of the wrong exit from the restaurant. He drove onto the towpath of an old canal. The car went too far to the left and drove over the edge into the shallow water of the canal. The car fell about fifteen feet and landed upside down in four to five feet of water. It sank into deep mud, which sealed the doors shut. Savitch and Fischbein were trapped inside as water filled the car. A local resident found the car wreck around 11:30 that night.
Awards and Recognition
Savitch gave the main speech at Ithaca College's graduation in 1979. At that time, she received an honorary doctorate degree. In 1980, she was chosen to be on the Ithaca College Board of Trustees. The college's television Studio A is named in her honor. The Jessica Savitch Communications Scholarship was also created. It helps students who show great skill and promise in broadcast journalism.
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia honored Savitch after her death. They added her to their Hall of Fame in 2006.
