KDKA-AM Talk Show Host Mike Pintek Dies

PITTSBURGH, PA - Veteran KDKA-AM radio talk show host Mike Pintek died early Wednesday of pancreatic cancer. Mr. Pintek, 65, passed away at the Vincentian Home in McCandless.

Mr. Pintek, who publicly announced his struggle with the inoperable condition in June 2017, had taken a leave of absence from the station in June after he suffered a stroke.

Mr. Pintek spent more than three decades at the station, arriving in 1982 as a reporter. In 1985 he became a talk show host and also worked at KDKA-TV as the host of “Pittsburgh 2-Day.”

“He was constantly trying to seek opinions from his listening audience,” KDKA program director jim Graci said in a statement. “He loved to talk to his listeners. However, if you were going to debate him, you better be bringing it.”

Before coming to KDKA, Mr. Pintek was the news director and anchor at WNOW in York, WKBO in Harrisburg and WASH-FM in Washington, D.C., While in Harrisburg in 1979, he broke the story of the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear generating plant in Dauphin County, which remains the worst incident at an American nuclear power plant in history.

Mr. Pintek died just two days after another veteran KDKA talk show host, Marty Griffin, announced he has been diagnosed with cancer.

Mr. Pintek is survived by his longtime partner Linda Guiler; a daughter,Hadley, and sister Mary Ann Krynock (Dennis). He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Carl Pintek.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Image via YouTube.

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