An era in Philadelphia will officially come to an end after tonight, as veteran anchor Jim Gardner ends his 46-year tenure with 6ABC and goes off into retirement.

The 74-year-old Gardner will anchor his final Action News broadcast tonight at 6 p.m.

This will mark the end of his more than 50-year career in the journalism industry, and 46-year career with 6ABC.

He joined WPTI-TV in Philadelphia as a reporter and anchor of Action News at noon in 1976. Just a year later, he assumed his roles as anchor of Action News for the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts.

Gardner announced his retirement plans in November 2021, which saw him transition from his 11 p.m. anchor position in January — being succeeded by Rick Williams. 

It was announced earlier this month that Brian Taff will be Gardner’s successor for the 6 p.m. broadcast, starting tomorrow.

Gardner is a native of New York City, and grew up on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. He attended Columbia University, originally for pre-med. However, as a freshman, he quickly came to the realization that he was not going to become a doctor. He instead found his calling at the school radio station. 

During his sophomore year in 1968, a group of Columbia students took part in protests at the university. As a student reporter, Gardner reported on the activities of these protesters over the course of several weeks.

“It served as my personal epiphany. This is what I wanted to do with my professional life,” Gardner said during an interview with 6ABC. 

His professional career began in 1970 as a desk assistant, writer and producer for 1010 WINS in New York, where he worked for two years before becoming a reporter for WFAS radio in White Plains, New York. His television broadcasting career began in 1974 at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York.

Since arriving in Philadelphia in 1976, Gardner has been a staple in and around the city ever since. 

Having been such a recognizable face in the Philadelphia broadcasting landscape for generations, Gardner’s imminent retirement has seen him get honored in a number of ways. A tribute was given to Gardner during this year’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Earlier this week, Gardner was honored with a street renaming. The 4100 block of Monument Road, which is the home of the Action News Studio in Philadelphia, is now officially known as “Jim Gardner Way.”

The tributes haven’t stopped, however.

Fans are reportedly planning a tailgate this afternoon at 4 p.m. in the parking lot of Target on City Avenue adjacent to 6ABC’s studios, in honor of Gardner. 

While his retirement puts an end to an impeccable run with the station, Gardner has carved his name into the history books for having the longest tenure of any on-air personality in Philadelphia history. 

Tomorrow, Dec. 22, 6ABC will be airing a special hour-long primetime special starting at 8 p.m., honoring Gardner and his storied career.