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Cecily Tynan Signs Off After 30 Years With Action News
By Matt Schultz
Published:
After more than 30 years of forecasting the weather for Action News, Cecily Tynan delivered her farewell broadcast on Monday night before heading into retirement:
Tynan:
“I just want to say thank you to you, the viewers. You’ve welcomed me into your living rooms for the past nearly 31 years, and for Channel 6 for taking a chance on me back in 1995. I was working at the ABC affiliate in Las Vegas. I really wanted to come back to the East Coast, and when I stepped inside the Channel 6 building for my interview, I felt at home. And I still feel that way today.
Now, after I was hired, I had two days — an entire two days — to learn the Action News format and how to pronounce Schuylkill and Conshohocken. And then I was put on the noon newscast, filling in for the late, great Dave Frankel. I still remember exactly what I was wearing: a Kelly-green wool suit. I was so nervous, I was worried viewers would see my kneecaps shaking. I honestly felt I didn’t measure up to the rest of the talent here. They were so confident, so self-assured.
I talked to my news director about my concerns, and he told me to observe and learn, and that my coworkers would raise me up to their level. And they did. And they continue to raise me up every single day. I learned from the best: Dave Roberts, Jim Gardner, Brian Taff, Rick Williams — who makes me laugh every day with his corny jokes. Let’s face it, like we said, you can’t fake chemistry. You see that, and that’s part of our special connection with all of you.
I’ve met families who’ve been watching Action News for several generations. Most people in this area can sing the Action News theme song. And I’ve even met several young Cecilys named after me. What an honor.
I want to thank you for trusting us for your forecast, especially during severe weather. In my opinion, we have the very best weather team in the country: Karen, Adam, Brittany, Payton, and our amazing weather producer, Paul Trombello. He works incredibly hard behind the scenes, making us all look so good. As do many people you don’t see — producers, photographers, editors, assignment managers — I thank all of you.
I also thank Channel 6 for allowing me to be my authentic self on the air, never asking me to change my goofy sense of humor, my cringey Elaine-type dancing — I still think I’m good — or to hide my love of animals. In fact, yes, we harnessed that love with Zoo Adventures and now Shelter Me, and I’m so happy these will continue long after I leave.
We’ve been through so much together: the Blizzard of ’96, Superstorm Sandy, hurricanes, heat waves, tornado outbreaks. But after I leave here, that’s not what I will remember the most. I’ll be thinking about just how much fun I’ve had here for more than three decades. Now I’m crying… The Action News team truly is a family. We’ve been through so many life events together. I may be retiring, and you won’t see me here on the news anymore, but I know I will always be part of the Action News team, and I thank you for that.
And I thank you guys for that, and I thank everybody here for that. I mean, I was lucky. I was lucky to land here and to stay here. And I couldn’t imagine my career another way, with anybody else.“
This was great. What a nice farewell. Viewers love her enough to name their kids after her. She ensured that her work to help animals will continue going after she retires. That’s what’s up. That’s great. Cecily rules, and she deserved the sendoff party the station threw after she wrapped her final broadcast, as well as the very nice things her coworkers said about her in that piece. Here are some quotes that stood out:
“She would stop and talk to everybody who called out her name. She would ask their name. She would pose for photos,” (6abc President & General Manager John Morrisaid) said. “She would give them special moments because she knew how important that was to them.”
“But I have to say, one of the many things I admire about you, you love to laugh and smile. You see that every day on Action News. You see that all over social media. And that means so much to us these days, now more than ever,” (Chad Matthews, the president of ABC Owned Television Stations) said during his speech on Monday.
“There has been so much development in climate science over her three decades of working here. She grasped onto those developments as opportunities. As challenges, but also opportunities,” (former Action News anchor Jim Gardner) explained.
“She has helped people through times of real danger and stress. That was the final legacy of her science,” Gardner added.
It’s a bummer that she won’t be on Action News anymore, but you gotta tip your cap to someone who’s put in 30 years of work at the level Cecily did. Also, getting to choose to retire is pretty awesome. Being in a position to do it, going out on your own terms, all that sort of stuff. That’s great.
Plus, as she mentioned when she announced her retirement in July, Cecily has a bunch of cool stuff lined up in her post-work life:
Now, instead of forecasting snow, I’m looking forward to spending my winters in Florida water skiing, traveling and having lots of quality time with my husband, Greg; two adult children, Luke and Emma; and three rescue pups, Nala, Shelby and Charlie.“
All those activities sound great. Water skiing. Florida. Traveling. Three rescue pups. That’s as good as it gets. I would do all that right now if I could, too. But I’m still in the trenches. These are my working years. I need to put in thirty more years of blogs first before I can publish my emotional farewell blog… but Cecily’s situation right now is a great goal to have.
Congrats again, Cecily, and enjoy retirement.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com