Jean Connelly dies
January 13, 2021WTAE-TV reported Tuesday night that Pittsburgh broadcasting pioneer Jean Connelly died peacefully at her home at age 97.
Originally a teacher in the Shanksville, PA area, Connelly left the area for a radio job in Montana before she and her husband moved back to Pittsburgh for a job at WDTV, KDKA-TV’s predecessor.
In 1958 she joined the new station in town; becoming an original employee at WTAE where she hosted “The Jean Connelly Show” between 1960 and 1973. She interviewed some high profile personalities including Carol Burnett and Liberace. She hosted other programs as well, but in 1975 she left the airwaves and became the station’s public service director until 1988. In 2002 she was the first western Pennsylvania female inducted into the Pennsylvania Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
