Channel Surfing
By Laura Nachman
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Don’t call her Siani!  Though in public, many mistake her for KYW-3’s Siani Lee, Tina Kim is carving out her own niche as one of the principal reporters for WB17’s 10 PM news.  One of the top students of her 1989 class at Abington High School, she’s glad to be back in the area after stops in Greenville, NC, Yuma, AZ, Fresno, CA, and Portland, OR.  Of Korean descent, Kim grew up the daughter of a forensic psychiatrist mother and oncologist father (sadly, both died between 1994-1996).  She watched lots of TV growing up - “my must see TV was the old ABC Tuesday night lineup of “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Three’s Company."  Plus, I remember Lisa Thomas-Laury  (of 6ABC’s “Action News”) when she was Lisa Thomas.”   Kim flirted with the idea of becoming an actress, but ended up majoring in cultural anthropology with a minor in film and video at Duke University. So how did she go from cultural anthropology to reporting?  “I was the youngest of three.  My brother (Paul, 36) did the career track, becoming an ER doctor, but my sister (Kathleen, 33) who is now a graduate student at USC film school was more of a free spirit, so when I was a sophomore in college, my father sat me down and said “you must pick a career.” That summer, I had a choice of working in children’s theater or interning for KYW’s “Evening Magazine.”  I chose “Evening Magazine.”  

Currently, Kim serves as president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, which also includes 6ABC’s Rose Tibayan and Fox-Philadelphia’s Nancy Yamada.

Kim is happy with her situation on and off the air.  She spends most of her spare time with her boyfriend who just relocated to Philadelphia from Portland. About work she says, "17 is great.  There are no egos in this newsroom.  In the past, I had a news director who played favorites,” but it’s not the case here.” Plus he doesn’t confuse her for Siani Lee.

Reporter Jim Sinkovitz has signed on for a two-year "hitch" with WB17.  Sinkovitz, with WB17 since 1995 was awarded the Purple Heart while serving with the U.S. Marines during the height of the Vietnam conflict. His twin brother Tom is an anchor/reporter at KRON TV in San Francisco.

NBC-10 anchor Monique Braxton and husband Shawn Fordham are first-time parents, as Shane Robert Braxton-Fordham was born Tuesday, April 10 at 11:45 PM at Lankenau Hospital.  The baby weighed in at 8 lbs., 13.5 oz., and was 22 inches long.

CN8 news celebrates its first anniversary April 17^th.  Arthur Fennell and Connie Colla anchor the 7 PM and 10 PM news with Lou Tilley on sports and Robyn Stevens on weather.

Laura Nachman hosts “Entertainment Update,” on WNWR 1540-AM, Friday, April 20^th from 6:30 – 7:30 PM.