John Severino, former president and general manager of KABC-TV, dies at 85

Severino later became president of ABC and helped build the regional sports network Prime Ticket from the ground up.

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Thursday, August 4, 2022
John Severino, former president, general manager of KABC-TV, dies
John Severino, former president, general manager of KABC-TV, diesJohn Severino, a legendary television executive, rose to become the president of ABC and helped build the regional sports network Prime Ticket from the ground up.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- John Severino, a legendary television executive and former Vice President and General Manager of ABC7, died last week, his family announced. He was 85.

A cause of death remains unknown.

The New Haven, Connecticut, native was a beloved member of the ABC7 family and helped create the current Eyewitness News format.

He delivered on-air editorials covering Southern California.

Severino later became president of ABC and helped build the regional sports network Prime Ticket from the ground up. It later became a model for others across the country.

Severino was a proud graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he played football and earned four consecutive Yankee Conference Championships.

Severino is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sally, his two sons, Mark and David, two daughter-in-laws, eight grandchildren, and his brother, Larry.

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