The latest hire for 6ABC is a familiar face to Philly viewers: Jessica Kartalija has joined the news team after co-anchoring at a rival station for six years.
Kartalija announced her new job on social media on Wednesday, though her specific role for Action News is unclear. She split with CBS Philadelphia under unknown circumstances in September.
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She joined CBS3 in 2018 and co-anchored the station's 5, 6, 8 and 11 p.m. newscasts. Prior to joining CBS Philadelphia, she worked for WJZ-TV in Baltimore for 12 years. She has also worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Yuma, Arizona.
Earlier this year, Kartalija was one of the recipients of the Television Broadcaster of the Year award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters along with KYW Newsradio's Denise Nakano.
Born and raised in San Diego, Kartalija's family has roots in Pennsylvania, and she currently lives in Radnor with her family. Her mother was raised in Montgomery County.
She is also an adjunct professor at Villanova University. Kartalija is an alumnus of Penn State, graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism, and she received her master's in communication at Johns Hopkins University.
Regarding her new role, Kartalija told the Philadelphia Business Journal she is "so grateful to be on this team and working for Philly’s legacy station."
She is the latest addition to the Action News team, joining a month after sports reporter Jason Dumas was hired by 6ABC to fill the vacancy left by Jamie Apody's departure.