Ukee Washington

Ulysses Samuel “Ukee” Washington III (born August 20, 1958) is an American news co-anchor for the weekday evening newscast on KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He currently anchors Eyewitness News on CBS 3 at 4,5,6 and 11 PM with Jessica Kartalija and Eyewitness News on The CW Philly at 10PM on sister station WPSG-TV, also with Kartalija.

Ukee Washington
Born
Ulysses Samuel Washington III

(1958-08-20) August 20, 1958

Washington originally co-anchored the opening segment of CBS3@4 along with main anchors Natasha Brown and Alexandria Hoff until May 2020, when Brown & Hoff were inexplicably removed from their anchor positions on the broadcast. The move came as a result of layoffs that occurred due to corporate restructuring in the wake of both the December 2019 merger of Viacom and the station's parent company CBS Corporation to become ViacomCBS and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however neither Brown nor Hoff were laid off from the station.[1]. Kartalija was added to join Washington in anchoring the broadcast. Washington formerly anchored Eyewitness News This Morning on CBS and The CW Philly with co-anchor Erika Von Tiehl, as well as Talk Philly with Pat Ciarrocchi which aired weekdays at noon until it was reverted to a regular newscast on June 29, 2015, which was then anchored by then-morning anchor Erika von Tiehl. On July 1, 2015, just four days after hosting the final episode of Talk Philly, Washington was named the new co-anchor of Eyewitness News weeknight broadcasts a day after lead anchor Chris May was fired by station management along with then-Chief Meteorologist Kathy Orr & Sports Director Beasley Reese.[2]

Washington is the son of Ulysses S. Washington, a noted professor and former football coach at Delaware State University. He is the godfather of Philadelphia Eagles safety Nate Allen.[3] Washington also is the second cousin of actor Denzel Washington.

Washington attended University of Richmond,[2] and is an avid fan of the University of Richmond's Spiders men's basketball team.

Career at KYW-TV

Prior to joining KYW-TV in 1986 as a weekend sportscaster, he was a sports anchor at WBBH-TV in Fort Myers, Florida, and at WSB-TV in Atlanta. In 1996, he began his co-anchoring duties at KYW on morning newscasts.[2]

In addition to his daily anchor duties, he provides viewers with "Keepin' It Reel," a special segment of the morning newscast during which he previews one of the week's theatrical releases and interviews the releases' stars and directors. Washington also hosted the local teen issues discussion show "Rap Around," which dealt with topics such as race, prom fashions, and having a brother. In 2004, he put together a special report on the still controversial Philadelphia Experiment.

On November 11, 2011, a performance was aired on KYW-TV where Washington joined the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, of which he is a former member, and the "Facebook Volunteer Choir" at the Zion Baptist Church in north Philadelphia in singing God Bless America, in tribute to America's military veterans.[4] He had been asked by the Philadelphia Phillies to sing God Bless America at a seventh-inning stretch at Citizens Bank Park during the 2011 National League Championship Series, but because the Phillies had been eliminated from the playoffs in the previous round by the St. Louis Cardinals (who went on to win the 2011 World Series), he could not perform for the Phillies. Instead, he chose to film a performance for Veterans Day.

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia[5] inducted Washington into their Hall of Fame in 2008.

Other Appearances

Washington is the second cousin of actor Denzel Washington and has had small parts in such movies as Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), Shooter (2007), and the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. He also appeared in The Happening (2008) portraying a television news anchor, his real life profession. He had a minor, non-speaking part in the film Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Television-wise, he appeared in an episode of the short-lived CBS drama series Hack and has made four appearances as a co-host of the CBS daytime show The Talk during a special week held each season where anchors from CBS stations from around the country are invited to be on the show and co-host with the show's regular panelists. Washington appeared in October 2013, July 2016, April 2019 and May 2020 (the last of which Washington did virtually from his home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic).[6][7][8]

References
  1. https://forums.tvnewstalk.net/topic/17763-developing-cbs-layoffs/
  2. "Ukee Washington". CBS Philly. Philadelphia, PA, US: CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  3. "15 Interesting Facts About Philly Celebrities". 7 August 2012.
  4. CBS Philly page where Washington joins choirs to pay tribute to veterans Retrieved 2011-11-21
  5. http://broadcastpioneers.com
  6. https://www.delcotimes.com/arts_and_entertainment/ch-s-ukee-washington-will-talk-the-talk/article_2d850e8f-61e6-5e90-a044-d4e03de26568.html
  7. https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/ukee-washington-returns-as-the-talk-guest-co-host/article_76f2cb49-0e90-5627-8f58-ca3cccced42c.html
  8. https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/4063469-nation-watched-ukee-washington-as-co-host-on-the-talk/
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