A 7-time Emmy Award and Telly Award winner, Thomas Baldrick is a uniquely talented, tireless professional, with a passion for using his creativity, and his media and marketing skills. He has widespread success and experience with media outlets, corporations, and non-profit organizations. He is also a dedicated “Daddy” to his little boy, Julian.
Baldrick got into the TV game as a Radio-Television-Film Major at Temple University. After repeated rejections at Group W Cable in Wildwood, NJ, the 18-year old persevered. When given a chance, he worked more than 100 unpaid hours each week. Eventually, Group W rewarded Thomas with a paid job that he continued for three years, commuting two hours each way many nights and weekends.
Before earning his degree in 1983, Baldrick landed a major market job with CBS-owned WCAU-TV Channel 10 in Philadelphia. On the last day of Thomas’ internship, the News Director fired a Sports Department employee to open a spot for him. Baldrick blossomed there for eight great years, rising to On-Air Sports Reporter, and Producer of Sports and Entertainment Programming, Documentaries and Prime-Time Specials. (Note: More than 25 years and 2400 miles later, he still produces special projects for the station.)
During the1990’s, Thomas Baldrick hit the road on the national TV level. He freelanced regularly for ESPN and traveled extensively as staff reporter/producer for the shows, “Billy Packer’s College Basketball” and “Hale Irwin’s Golf in America.”
His ability to work well with stars carried Baldrick beyond the world of sports. In his work for shows such as “ET,” “Access Hollywood,” and “Extra,” Thomas has done many interviews and feature pieces with stars from movies, music, TV, and theatre.
In addition, he enjoyed the hometown stars on parade as he kept ties throughout the 1990’s as an all-day host on camera for Philly’s most watched local TV event…the traditional Philadelphia Mummers New Year’s Day Parade.
On assignment, Thomas has had much success at ABC News for “World News Tonight,” “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” “Prime Time,” and “This Week with George Stephanopolous.” From world politics to breaking news, Thomas Baldrick has pretty much covered it all. Among his credits, he got Good Morning America the first interview with an American POW from the war in Iraq. He was selected by his media peers to be the only TV reporter, live on the scene for the miracle rescue of the nine-trapped Pennsylvania coal miners in Somerset, PA. Thomas was also smack dab in the middle of the lead stories throughout the legendary Florida Recount in the 2000 U.S. Presidential election.
Covering the worlds of business and finance on television, Thomas Baldrick has worked as a regular with the PBS series’ MoneyTrack and World Business Review, andthe U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also served proudly as a consultant to the Senior Management of Sovereign Bank. Thomas Baldrick has also produced projects with giants such as Chevron, Exelon, Comcast, and BP/Amoco.
In healthcare, he’s worked closely with pharmaceutical executives, patients, and doctors on important video projects. These have involved drugs from J & J, Pfizer, ImClone, AlPharma, Astra Zeneca, Sanofi-Aventis and more. In 2006, Thomas brought “The Bayada Way,” to life on DVD, a heartwarming six-chapter story of Bayada Nurses. He continues work with the unique home care company that believes its clients come first.
He has also been honored to work with many non-profit organizations. Among them, The United Negro College Fund, and Rev. Leon Sullivan’s OIC movement.
Thomas Baldrick was a “Philly” guy until late 2005, when he left the cheese steaks, soft pretzels, and cold winters of Philadelphia, PA, moving for a new family to Arizona’s “Valley of the Sun.” Arizona has long been a special place for Baldrick personally and professionally. He vividly recalls that Friday, December 9, 1988 was his first step on Arizona soil. The next day, he made his live network television debut covering an NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Phoenix Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium.
Ten years later, Thomas received accolades for producing the season-premiere, “new look” episode of TLC’s, “A Wedding Story,” featuring the tale of a bi-racial, hearing-impaired, couple from Mesa, AZ. As the show’s Senior Producer, he helped craft “A Wedding Story” into the # 1 series on the network.
In 2003, Baldrick found paradise in Paradise Valley, AZ, teaming up with former ABC colleague and TV legend, Hugh Downs, on a pharmaceutical documentary offering a unique, inside look at joint replacement surgery.
It’s rare for a grown single man to volunteer holding sick infants and toddlers. But that’s exactly what Thomas Baldrick did; serving three and a half years at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the facility that once saved his life. Prior to the birth of his own son, Thomas Baldrick made other good use of his love for children.
As an author, the media called Baldrick, “A Champion for Children.” He raised money and awareness for charities through two inspirational books: “KIDS RULE! The Hopes and Dreams of 21st Century Children,” and “A Million & One Ways to Celebrate a Child.” Also, through empowering speeches, workshops, and guest appearances on TV and Radio, he made an impact on the lives of children and adults across America.
In 2005, Baldrick received national attention for his “Kindness Beats Blindness.” At Harrington Middle School in Mount Laurel, NJ, he teamed with teacher, Jen Uibel to rally hundreds of students to spend a day as “seeing eye kids” or blindfolded, so they could “see what it’s like” to be visually impaired. Baldrick’s main goal was to help find a cure for Rebecca Veeck, a South Carolina girl with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a disease that took her eyesight. Charles Gibson featured the relationship of Thomas and Rebecca in a tear-jerking in-depth piece on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Thomas served as a host for Philadelphia’s annual TV coverage of “The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon,” and Buffalo, New York’s annual, “Variety Club Telethon.” Baldrick also joined Penn State University students half his age in 2002-04 at the grueling but heartwarming event, “THON.” There he stood signing books for 48-hours straight to benefit children with cancer. Yes, that’s right…48 straight hours! No Sitting! No sleeping! No kidding!
Thomas Baldrick takes his heart with him on assignments. He’s been impacted by up close and personal experiences covering catastrophes, school shootings, murders, and other traumatic events. However, nothing touched him as deeply as the 9-11 tragedies, devastation he witnessed from both New York City and Shanksville, PA.
Baldrick built “The 9-11 Wall of Hope” – a 50-foot showcase for drawings, thoughts, poems, and prayers from children of the Families of Flight 93, and students across Pennsylvania. On the first 9-11 anniversary, Baldrick unveiled The Wall of Hope at Shanksville Elementary with Governor Mark Schweiker before it went on display for weeks at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, PA.
In Spring 2003, Baldrick joined the Todd M. Beamer Foundation named for the United Flight 93 hero. As host and keynote speaker, he helped launch the “Heroic Choices” program for New York City children who were victims of severe trauma. In 2007, Thomas Baldrick received the highest of honors to him, when he was invited to have his story included when the Flight 93 National Memorial opens in Shanksville, PA.
"We make a living by what we get....
But we make a life by what we give."
Sir Winston Churchill