To the thousands of television viewers across Northeast Pennsylvania who tuned in each day, he was J. Kristopher, the versatile voice of WNEP who could transition from a Backyard storm forecast to a sports reel highlight without missing a beat.<\/p>\n
But away from the \u201cNewswatch 16\u201d set, he was Stephen Kotch, a man defined less by Nielsen ratings and more by a quiet, deep-seated faith and fierce devotion to his family.<\/p>\n
When family and friends gathered last weekend to honor Kristopher, who died March 13 at 90, many remarked on the quality of his obituary. The author, it turned out, was the newsman himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs my parents were getting up in age, we suggested they write them,\u201d his son, Kristopher Kotch of Kingston, said. \u201cHe did a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pioneer at WNEP, Kristopher\u2019s 33-year career was a series of \u201cfirsts.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was the first to broadcast from the station\u2019s famous Backyard and the first to report live from the Skycam 16 helicopter. Beyond the news desk, he was a fixture of local culture, hosting Dialing for Dollars and 33 consecutive Jerry Lewis MDA telethons, while also serving as a longtime track announcer at Pocono International Raceway.<\/p>\n
A Swoyersville native, Kristopher enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, achieving the rank of Airman 1st Class. He held a top-secret clearance while working with nuclear high-resolution radar and visual targeting. Off-duty, he played for a semi-pro baseball team and was known as a reliable home run hitter.<\/p>\n
Following his military service, he enrolled in King\u2019s College, where he started the campus radio station, WRKC. The son of an immigrant coal miner, he became the first member of his family to attain a college degree.<\/p>\n
After years working in radio, Kristopher launched his career at WNEP.<\/p>\n
Retired WNEP Chief Meteorologist Tom Clark, a long-time colleague, said he was still in college at Penn State when he first started dealing with Kristopher.<\/p>\n
Clark and Paul Douglas, who would also join the WNEP weather team, had a weather service in State College and regularly supplied Kristopher with information since he wasn\u2019t a meteorologist.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could call from college and supply him with the forecast and what to say,\u201d Clark said. \u201cHe would stick to the script.\u201d<\/p>\n