Jim O'Brien (reporter)
Encyclopedia
Jim O'Brien was the stage name of James Oldham (November 20, 1939 – September 25, 1983), who came to Philadelphia in 1970 to become a disc jockey
at radio station WFIL-AM
, after short stints at KHJ
in Los Angeles
and WOR-FM in New York City
.
In 1976, he joined the WPVI
Channel 6 Action News
team as a sports anchor. He soon became the weatherman and became a local legend with his presentation of the weather, being the only Philadelphia area weatherman to use a pointer while on the air. O'Brien eventually co-anchored the 5:00PM newscast, the local edition of Dialing for Dollars
, and the weekend magazine show Primetime.
riding and skydiving. It was the latter hobby which would lead to his untimely death in a skydiving accident on September 25, 1983 at the United Parachute Club (no longer in existence), located in New Hanover Township, just outside Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania
. He and another skydiver jumping with him safely deployed their main parachutes; but during their descent under their open parachutes, they accidentally collided with each other, and their parachutes became entangled with one another. After trying unsuccessfully to detach themselves from each other, O'Brien, an experienced skydiver, performed a standard skydiving emergency procedure called a "cutaway", in which he jettisoned his main parachute and deployed his reserve parachute. Unfortunately, by the time he performed the "cutaway" maneuver, he was already at such a low altitude that he struck the ground before his reserve canopy, which was in the process of deploying, was able to inflate.
, who played the character Roz Doyle
on the television program Frasier
, and Patti Jo (Oldham) Wynne of Dallas, Texas.
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
at radio station WFIL-AM
WFIL
WFIL is a radio station and a former television station serving the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its transmitter is located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania....
, after short stints at KHJ
KHJ (AM)
KHJ Radio in Los Angeles, California broadcasts Spanish-language entertainment programming as La Ranchera. It was also one of America's most formidable Top 40 radio stations in the 1960s and 1970s as 93 KHJ before changing its format in 1980....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and WOR-FM in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1976, he joined the WPVI
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
Channel 6 Action News
Action News
Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
team as a sports anchor. He soon became the weatherman and became a local legend with his presentation of the weather, being the only Philadelphia area weatherman to use a pointer while on the air. O'Brien eventually co-anchored the 5:00PM newscast, the local edition of Dialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars was a franchised format local television program in the United States and Canada, popular in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.-Format:...
, and the weekend magazine show Primetime.
Hobbies and accidental death
O'Brien had two favorite hobbies: motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
riding and skydiving. It was the latter hobby which would lead to his untimely death in a skydiving accident on September 25, 1983 at the United Parachute Club (no longer in existence), located in New Hanover Township, just outside Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania
Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania
Gilbertsville is a census-designated place in northwest Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Douglass Township at the junction of Routes 73 and 100...
. He and another skydiver jumping with him safely deployed their main parachutes; but during their descent under their open parachutes, they accidentally collided with each other, and their parachutes became entangled with one another. After trying unsuccessfully to detach themselves from each other, O'Brien, an experienced skydiver, performed a standard skydiving emergency procedure called a "cutaway", in which he jettisoned his main parachute and deployed his reserve parachute. Unfortunately, by the time he performed the "cutaway" maneuver, he was already at such a low altitude that he struck the ground before his reserve canopy, which was in the process of deploying, was able to inflate.
Daughters
O'Brien is the father of actress Peri GilpinPeri Gilpin
Peri Gilpin is an American actress known for her role as Roz Doyle in the U.S. television series Frasier from 1993 until 2004. Along with the principal cast, Gilpin won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2000...
, who played the character Roz Doyle
Roz Doyle
Rosalinda "Roz" Doyle is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Frasier. She is played by Peri Gilpin. Roz is the producer of Frasier Crane's Dr. Frasier Crane Show on KACL 780AM...
on the television program Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, and Patti Jo (Oldham) Wynne of Dallas, Texas.
External links
- http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-10/1102674018112440.xml
- http://www.famous56.com/jim/
- http://www.angelfire.com/celeb/JLeeves/periin.htm
- http://aicommand.com/Obrien121704.htm