Matt O’Donnell Biography
Matt O’Donnell is the co-anchor of Action News Mornings, the co-host of Inside Story on Sundays, and the host and producer of the True Philadelphia Podcast. In December 1996, he was hired as a general assignment reporter for Action News, fulfilling a career goal of working at the station he grew up watching.
How old is Matt O’Donnell? – Age
He is 48 years old as of 31 May 2021. He was born in 1972 in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Matt O’Donnell Family
Matt was born to Jim O’Donnell. He graduated from the University of Delaware.
Matt O’Donnell Wife
Matt lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with his wife, two children, and dog Bailey.
What is Matt O’Donnell’s salary? – Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $970,000. He earns a salary of $485,000.
Matt O’Donnell Career
Matt began his career as a do-it-yourself news reporter at WICZ-TV in Binghamton just days after graduating from the University of Delaware, covering local news and politics, including the 1994 New York governor’s race, where he interviewed eventual winner George Pataki twice. His next assignment took him to WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York, where he tracked down an accused murderer for an exclusive interview, visited a community that received 300+ inches of snow in one season, and provided daily coverage of a gruesome series of deaths that became the basis for the cable series “Village of the Damned.”
In his many years of street reporting, Matt has visited nearly every community in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys, as well as assignments that have taken him across the country and around the world: California, Brazil, Nevada, and England. In addition, he took a life-changing flight with the Blue Angels. He has covered three political conventions, two presidential inaugurations, and countless pivotal stories that have shaped our region over the last two decades.
Matt’s big break came when he was called back to Philadelphia to join the Action News team, where he has proudly worked ever since. Shortly after 9/11, he joined the Air Force National Guard on a trip to England. Over Atlantic City, he flew supersonic with a member of the Blue Angels. He spent four days in the Brazilian rain forest with Philadelphia Zoo experts to help protect the golden lion tamarin. When their presidential campaigns brought them to the region, he interviewed Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump.
He spent two days along the Jersey Shore waiting for Hurricane Irene, which was on its way to becoming the first hurricane to hit New Jersey in more than a century. During their visits to town, he has greeted Kevin Bacon, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Judd, and James Brown. He was there for the Eagles’ playoff run as well as the Phillies’ and Eagles’ championship parades. Throughout the years, he has visited nearly every town in the region, covering the triumphs, tragedies, highs, and lows of Action News viewers.
Every weekday morning from 4-7 a.m., Matt joins Tamala Edwards, David Murphy, and Karen Rogers to help the sleepyheads of the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys wake up, a position he has held since 2004. Matt and Tam also alternate as hosts of Inside Story, where they bring in panelists to debate important issues and challenge decision-makers.
Matt’s most recent project is the True Philadelphia Podcast, in which he sits down with the people who help shape the ongoing conversation about what is great about the Philadelphia area: Jay Wright, Madeline Bell, Larry Krasner, and the original Phillie Phanatic. Elena Delle Donne, Preston Elliot, Sharon Pinkenson, Tom Wolf, and Charlie Dent star. The podcast is available for listening on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and YouTube.