PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia radio legend Kathy O’Connell, longtime host of WXPN’s “Kids Corner,” is retiring.
O’Connell joined WXPN in the 1980s after the New York station, where she co-hosted a children’s show, lost funding.
“The manager of WXPN, Mark Fuerst, called me and said, ‘Do you want to come to Philadelphia and do a kids show by yourself?’”
Unsure and out of work, O’Connell decided to move and give it a shot.
“My grandmother instilled in me the importance of always having a job. So I say I'll go. I’ll give Philly a year.” And soon, Philly became her home.
For nearly 40 years, “Kids Corner” became a safe place for youngsters to call in and ask O’Connell questions or share stories about their world views.
She said the key to getting a child to open up to you is simple.
“Just talk to them like they’re a person. You don’t have to talk to them on a lower level. If they say, I don’t know what that means, try to find a way to re-word it so that they do understand what it means,” she explained.
O’Connell will host “Kids Corner” until her last show in June.
The show will end with O’Connell’s retirement, but “Kids Corner’s” longtime producer Robert Drake will remain with the station.