John Kosich.jpg

John Kosich

WEWS

John Kosich

Education: Temple University in Philadelphia.

Current Position/Job Duties: Political Reporter

Previous Work Experience: WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York; WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania ; WMGM-TV in Atlantic City, New Jersey and KQTV-TV St. Joseph, Missouri.

Joined News 5: April 2005.

Most Memorable Stories: Where do I start, interviewing multiple U.S. Presidents including Biden, Trump and Obama among them. Covering multiple National Political Conventions beginning with the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1996. Traveling with two Popes on their American tours, Pope John Paul II in his October 1995 visit to New York and New Jersey and Pope Francis 20 years later during his 2015 trip to Philadelphia. Interviewing Charles Ramsey live on Seymour Avenue in Cleveland in 2013 after he helped free three local women who had been held captive for a decade in the home next door. The live interview has been viewed over 100 million times as has the autotune "Dead Giveaway" generated from it. An autotune that was the inspiration for the Netflix series "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Once hosting a television special with Tony Bennett, looking back on his career in show business, something that was his idea we do.

And just really having the opportunity to pick the brains of a lot of great talents especially during my years in Atlantic City, talking with Jimmy Stewart about “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with Merv Griffin about the Big Band era and a half dozen other subjects we’d explore whenever I would interview him, with Sammy Cahn about how he wrote “Three Coins in a Fountain” and with Paul Anka about how he wrote “My Way” for Frank Sinatra, with Shirley Jones about “Oklahoma” and the “The Partridge Family,” with Steve Allen about the early days of television, with Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell about the early days of “Bandstand,” just to name a few.

Role Model(s): Dave Roberts, former Philadelphia weatherman who took me under his wing as an intern and taught me about the business and how to balance it with family. Dave and his wife, Patti, have three kids including their son, actor David Boreanaz.

Favorite Sports Team(s): All Cleveland teams, of course, but my allegiances are still with the Philadelphia teams I grew up with.

Favorite Music: Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

Favorite Movies: The Big Chill, 1776 and Godfather.

Favorite Programs: The Office (having worked in Scranton) and Boardwalk Empire (having worked in Atlantic City).

Favorite Foods: Italian and seafood.

Family: I'm married to Stacey Frey and we have one son.

Pet(s): Two dogs and a cat.

Hobbies & Interests: Sports of all sorts, biking and skiing.

Something most people don't know about me: I was a political press secretary in Philadelphia prior to taking my first job as a reporter.

What I like best about Northeast Ohio: Showing people who aren’t from here around and watching their faces as they discover the hidden gems that those of us who live here so very often take for granted and rediscovering them by seeing them through their eyes.

On the weekends I love to: Spend time with my family and decompress.

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