An already momentous year for Bob Pompeani just got even more special.
Over the summer, KDKA-TV’s sports director celebrated 40 years at Channel 2. The station commemorated the occasion with a star-studded “Pompeaniversary: 40 Years at KDKA” special that served as a retrospective on his long and prosperous career.
Pompeani picked up another prestigious honor earlier this week, when he was named sports anchor of the year by Broadcasting + Cable, a leading television industry trade publication. It’s a big deal even for a broadcaster who has already won three Mid-Atlantic Emmys and eight Associated Press awards.
“I am always honored but humbled to receive awards like this,” Pompeani told the Union Progress. “But I also know there are so many talented people in our industry. So it’s flattering to be chosen.”
Pompeani’s four decades of work earned him induction into the Pennsylvania, Beaver County and Hopewell High School sports halls of fame. Chris Cotugno, KDKA’s president and general manager, said the man affectionately known as “Pomp” “embodies what Pittsburgh is, what KDKA is and what sports is in this city.”
“He’s part of the community,” Cotugno said. “And that’s why he’s been here for 40 years; that’s why people trust him; that’s why the city loves him.”
The accolade from Broadcasting + Cable is a “team award,” Pompeani said, thanks to the way his “colleagues at KDKA make me better.” It can also be attributed to the Channel 2 viewers who have been tuning into his sports coverage since the early 1980s.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to the people who take the time to watch us,” he said. “Thank you very much.”
Joshua covers pop culture, media and more at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Contact him at jaxelrod@unionprogress.com.