Introduction
Larry Mendte has spent more than four decades in American broadcasting, building a career that has moved between local television, national entertainment programming, radio, commentary, and documentary work. From Philadelphia newsrooms to major stations in New York and Chicago, Mendte has worked across several sides of the media business.
Today, Larry Mendte is best known as a longtime news anchor, commentator, and radio host. In 2026, he is part of the morning lineup at New York’s 710 WOR, where he co-hosts Curtis Sliwa and Larry Mendte in the Morning. Recent WOR and iHeart material confirms that Mendte remains active on the station’s news and talk programming.
His career, however, began long before talk radio. Mendte worked at television stations across the United States, became one of the original male hosts of Access Hollywood, anchored major Philadelphia newscasts, and later developed a reputation for television commentary.
Who Is Larry Mendte?
Larry Mendte, whose full name is Lawrence David Mendte, is an American television journalist, news anchor, commentator, and radio personality. He was born and raised in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, and developed an interest in journalism at an early age.
His first connection to the news business came through newspapers. As a boy, Mendte delivered the Philadelphia Bulletin, an experience that gave him an early connection to the local media world.
He later attended Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, before studying communications at West Chester University. The university has recognized Mendte as a distinguished alumnus, and he later returned to deliver a commencement address.
His education helped prepare him for broadcasting, but Mendte’s professional development came largely through years of working in different markets. He learned the business by reporting, anchoring, writing, and taking on assignments that eventually led him to larger television stations.
Larry Mendte’s Early Broadcasting Career
Mendte did not begin his career at one of the country’s biggest television networks. Instead, he worked his way through several local broadcasting markets.
Early positions included work at KIEM-TV in Eureka, California, WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania, WLYH-TV in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio. These jobs gave him experience in both reporting and anchoring.
He later moved to San Diego, where he worked at KFMB-TV. His career path demonstrates how common market-to-market progression was for television journalists who wanted to reach larger audiences.
One of the important early steps in his career came at WABC-TV in New York. Mendte worked there as a weekend anchor and also filled in as a sports anchor during the 1980s.
New York was a major broadcasting market, and the experience helped establish Mendte as a journalist capable of working on a larger stage.
His Years at WBBM-TV in Chicago
Mendte’s next significant chapter came in Chicago. From 1991 to 1995, he worked at WBBM-TV, where he served as both an anchor and investigative reporter.
His reporting during this period included a series examining school bus safety. According to biographical records, the reporting contributed to a change in Illinois state law.
Chicago also became an important part of Mendte’s awards record. Available biographical sources credit him with numerous regional Emmy Awards during his time in the market, along with recognition from the Illinois Associated Press.
The Chicago experience also strengthened a skill that would become important throughout his career: the ability to combine traditional news anchoring with longer-form reporting.
Larry Mendte and Access Hollywood
One of the more unusual turns in Mendte’s career came in 1996 when he became the first male host of the syndicated entertainment program Access Hollywood.
The move showed that his broadcasting skills were not limited to traditional evening news. He joined the program at its launch and co-hosted the weekday edition with Giselle Fernández. He also worked on the weekend edition alongside Nancy O’Dell.
For a journalist primarily associated with news, entertainment television offered a different kind of challenge. The format required a faster pace, celebrity interviews, entertainment reporting, and a more conversational presentation style.
Mendte ultimately left the program in 1997. Rather than continuing in national entertainment television, he returned to Philadelphia and moved back toward local news.
Returning to Philadelphia With WCAU
Philadelphia remained central to Mendte’s career.
After leaving Access Hollywood, Mendte joined WCAU-TV, Philadelphia’s NBC station. He became the station’s evening news anchor and appeared on its 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. newscasts.
His work at WCAU also included Live at Issue, a Sunday morning public-affairs program that gave him an opportunity to interview guests and discuss current issues beyond the traditional evening-news format.
During his time at WCAU, the station made significant progress in Philadelphia’s competitive television news market. Historical accounts of the period credit Mendte with helping the station achieve notable ratings gains, including an 11 p.m. newscast performance that challenged longtime market leader WPVI.
That success helped make Mendte an attractive figure when another major Philadelphia station came calling.
The CBS 3 Philadelphia Years
In 2003, Mendte moved from WCAU to KYW-TV, commonly known as CBS 3 in Philadelphia.
He became the station’s lead anchor for the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. He was paired with Alycia Lane, and the two became a prominent anchor team in the Philadelphia market.
Mendte’s move was significant because Philadelphia television news was highly competitive. CBS 3 had spent years trying to close the gap with WPVI, and the station’s recruitment of Mendte reflected his standing in the local broadcasting market.
His tenure at CBS 3 ended in 2008 after an investigation involving unauthorized access to Lane’s email accounts. The case became a major turning point in Mendte’s career and received extensive media coverage.
The 2008 Email Case
Any complete biography of Larry Mendte needs to address the 2008 case because it had a direct effect on his television career.
Federal prosecutors accused Mendte of accessing the email accounts of his former co-anchor, Alycia Lane, without authorization. According to an Associated Press report published by CBS News, investigators alleged that Mendte had accessed Lane’s accounts hundreds of times over a period of more than two years.
Mendte was charged with illegally accessing a protected computer. He later pleaded guilty and, according to CBS Philadelphia’s reporting, was sentenced to house arrest and three years of probation.
The episode ended his position at CBS 3 and became one of the most significant setbacks of his professional life.
It is important to separate this documented legal history from speculation about his motives or private thoughts. The available reporting establishes the criminal case and its consequences, but assumptions beyond those documented facts should not be presented as established biography.
A New Chapter at WPIX
Mendte eventually returned to television, taking on a different role at WPIX in New York.
Rather than serving only as a conventional news anchor, he became known for commentary and editorial segments. His commentaries were distributed beyond the New York market and appeared on stations connected with Tribune Broadcasting and other television groups.
This period allowed Mendte to develop a more personal broadcasting style. Instead of simply presenting a collection of reported facts, his segments often focused on explaining or commenting on current events.
His work also earned significant recognition. Available biographical records credit Mendte with multiple New York regional Emmy Awards for commentary and writing during his years at WPIX.
That achievement became an important part of his post-CBS career.
Coverage of Major Breaking News
Mendte has also covered several major breaking-news events during his television career.
In October 2012, he helped anchor WPIX’s coverage during Hurricane Sandy as the storm severely affected New York and surrounding areas. He continued working on extended newscasts during the aftermath.
In 2013, Mendte also anchored coverage surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing. These assignments required long hours and rapid reporting as events developed.
Such coverage illustrates another side of local television journalism. Anchors covering major breaking news must often work for many consecutive hours while processing information that continues to change.
Documentary Work and Writing
Mendte’s work has not been limited to daily television and radio programs.
He has written and directed short documentaries, including Ben Franklin: Stealing Lightning from the Sky. The film examined the familiar story surrounding Benjamin Franklin and his famous kite experiment.
Another documentary project focused on Alex Scott, the young founder of Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Mendte’s work on Scott’s story reflected his interest in combining journalism with human-interest storytelling.
His documentary work also brought recognition outside conventional television news. Biographical records credit him with awards connected to documentary filmmaking, including recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Larry Mendte’s Radio Career
Radio became an increasingly important part of Mendte’s career as his television work evolved.
He has hosted radio programs in both Philadelphia and New York, including work with WABC Radio and later WOR. His transition into radio made sense given his experience with commentary and long-form discussion.
Radio also provides a different relationship with an audience than television. Without relying on visual presentation, hosts have to maintain attention through conversation, interviews, analysis, humor, and storytelling.
In 2023, Mendte was appointed news director and morning news anchor at 710 WOR in New York, according to industry reporting.
By 2026, WOR’s programming confirms that Mendte remains active on the station. He is part of Curtis Sliwa and Larry Mendte in the Morning, while WOR also produces Saturday programming featuring Mendte.
Larry Mendte in 2026
Mendte’s current career represents a shift from the traditional local-TV anchor model toward multimedia broadcasting.
At WOR, he combines news coverage, interviews, commentary, and conversations with guests. Recent 2026 programming shows him interviewing reporters and public figures while discussing national and New York-area stories.
His continued presence on radio also demonstrates how experienced television journalists can adapt as audiences move between broadcast television, podcasts, streaming platforms, and digital audio.
Mendte’s career has therefore followed several major changes in American media. He began in newspapers and local television, moved into national entertainment television, returned to local news, developed a career in commentary, and eventually became a prominent radio host.
Larry Mendte’s Awards and Recognition
Mendte has accumulated substantial recognition throughout his career.
Different biographical and professional sources report more than 80 regional Emmy Awards across several television markets, although exact totals can vary depending on how individual awards and categories are counted.
Some of the major areas associated with his recognition include:
| Area | Notable achievement |
|---|---|
| Television news | Multiple regional Emmy Awards |
| Investigative reporting | Recognized work in Chicago |
| Commentary | Multiple New York regional Emmy wins |
| Writing | Emmy recognition for commentary writing |
| Documentary work | Awards and festival recognition |
| Philadelphia broadcasting | Induction into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame |
| Education | Distinguished alumnus recognition from West Chester University |
Mendte has also been inducted into several halls of fame connected to his education and broadcasting career, including the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame.
What Is Larry Mendte’s Net Worth?
There is no reliably verified public figure that establishes Larry Mendte’s current net worth.
Celebrity and biography websites sometimes publish estimated figures, but those numbers often lack transparent documentation about salary, investments, property, taxes, contracts, or other assets.
For that reason, it is better not to present a specific dollar amount as fact.
What can be established is that Mendte has enjoyed a long professional career spanning local television, national syndicated television, radio, commentary, and documentary production. His decades in broadcasting have included positions at major stations in several large American media markets.
Why Larry Mendte Remains a Notable Broadcaster
Mendte’s career stands out because it has not followed a single straight path.
He has worked in several forms of media:
- Local television news
- Investigative reporting
- National entertainment television
- Radio news and talk programming
- Editorial commentary
- Documentary filmmaking
- Long-form interviews
- Digital audio and podcast-style programming
That range has allowed him to remain active despite major changes in the media industry.
His career also reflects the importance of adaptability in broadcasting. A journalist who began in newspapers and local television eventually found opportunities in national entertainment programming, major-market news, commentary, and radio.
Frequently Asked Questions About Larry Mendte
1. Where did Larry Mendte begin his journalism career?
Mendte worked at several local television stations early in his career, including stations in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and San Diego. He later moved into larger markets such as New York and Chicago.
2. Was Larry Mendte the first male host of Access Hollywood?
Yes. Mendte was part of the original Access Hollywood hosting team when the syndicated entertainment program launched in 1996.
3. What happened to Larry Mendte at CBS 3?
Mendte left CBS 3 in 2008 after an investigation into his unauthorized access of former co-anchor Alycia Lane’s email accounts. He later pleaded guilty and received house arrest and probation.
4. What radio station does Larry Mendte work for?
Mendte is associated with 710 WOR in New York. In 2026, WOR programming identifies him as a host of Curtis Sliwa and Larry Mendte in the Morning and also features him in Saturday programming.
5. How many Emmy Awards has Larry Mendte won?
Sources commonly report that Mendte has received more than 80 regional Emmy Awards over his career, although published totals can vary by source and by how awards are counted.
Conclusion
Larry Mendte’s broadcasting career has covered an unusually wide range of American media. From delivering newspapers as a child in Pennsylvania to working in major television markets, hosting Access Hollywood, anchoring Philadelphia newscasts, producing commentary, and hosting radio in New York, his professional journey spans several generations of journalism.
His career also includes difficult chapters, particularly the 2008 email-access case that ended his time at CBS 3. That episode remains part of the public record, but it is only one chapter in a much longer professional history.
In 2026, Larry Mendte continues working in radio at 710 WOR, demonstrating the ability to adapt his broadcasting experience to a changing media environment. His story offers a useful look at how a journalist can move between television, radio, commentary, and digital formats while remaining connected to news and public conversation.
