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Liveshot: Journalistic Heroism in Philadelphia
Bullets flying. Choking teargas. Angry crowds chanting for justice. Eleven dead people, five of them children. This is the epic true story of the intrepid journalists of a Philadelphia television news department whose creativity and dedication brought the 1985 MOVE disaster to a live television audience.
Told through the eyes of the field producer who coordinated much of the live coverage, Liveshot documents the step by step process the news staff of WCAU-TV followed to research the story, plan coverage and, most importantly, improvise as the story unfolded. The incredible team work of the reporters in the field, producers and editors in the newsroom and the managers in charge earned WCAU the Columbia-Dupont Award for excellence in journalism.
Did local governments and police departments learn anything from the travesty that occurred in West Philadelphia in 1985? You be the judge.
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Told through the eyes of the field producer who coordinated much of the live coverage, Liveshot documents the step by step process the news staff of WCAU-TV followed to research the story, plan coverage and, most importantly, improvise as the story unfolded. The incredible team work of the reporters in the field, producers and editors in the newsroom and the managers in charge earned WCAU the Columbia-Dupont Award for excellence in journalism.
Did local governments and police departments learn anything from the travesty that occurred in West Philadelphia in 1985? You be the judge.
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Audible Audio
Published October 29, 2025
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About the author
Tom Kranz
14 books5 followersTom is a Philadelphia native whose 40-year journalism expertise includes radio, television, print and online. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Temple University. He was a New Jersey certified EMT from 1999 to 2021 and served as a volunteer EMT on his local rescue squad in New Jersey. He is still a certified CPR instructor and a life member of the rescue squad.
He worked in Philadelphia radio and television from the mid 1970s until 1991. From 1992 to 2007 he was a producer and senior producer at CBS News. After retiring from the TV news business in 2007, he spent 12 years as director of communications for Chelsea Senior Living and two years as public information officer for the borough of Fanwood, New Jersey.
Tom has written seven books. His single non-fiction book, Liveshot, details his on-scene assignment as a producer for WCAU-TV in West Philadelphia during the ill-fated 1985 MOVE confrontation. During this event, the city attempted to evict the MOVE group from a rowhome but succeeded instead in burning down the house, the entire city block and killing all 11 people inside.
His other six books are novels. Three focus on a married couple, the Bud & Maggie Series, and their struggles with Bud’s sublimated anger and Maggie’s ambition. Two are science fiction stories with climate change as the backdrop, the Earth-Moon Series. His latest work, Wreck and Return, is the story of Griffin Ambrose, a volunteer EMT whose volunteer life and professional life in the TV news business lead to stress, self-medication and a disastrous turn of events that result in a death, injured colleagues, jail and Griffin's exile from EMS. He finds a path to redemption, however, as patients who he helped in his 20 years as an EMT wonder if all the good he did should be erased by one mistake?
Tom resides in New Jersey where he hosts a podcast on creativity and does freelance communications work.
He worked in Philadelphia radio and television from the mid 1970s until 1991. From 1992 to 2007 he was a producer and senior producer at CBS News. After retiring from the TV news business in 2007, he spent 12 years as director of communications for Chelsea Senior Living and two years as public information officer for the borough of Fanwood, New Jersey.
Tom has written seven books. His single non-fiction book, Liveshot, details his on-scene assignment as a producer for WCAU-TV in West Philadelphia during the ill-fated 1985 MOVE confrontation. During this event, the city attempted to evict the MOVE group from a rowhome but succeeded instead in burning down the house, the entire city block and killing all 11 people inside.
His other six books are novels. Three focus on a married couple, the Bud & Maggie Series, and their struggles with Bud’s sublimated anger and Maggie’s ambition. Two are science fiction stories with climate change as the backdrop, the Earth-Moon Series. His latest work, Wreck and Return, is the story of Griffin Ambrose, a volunteer EMT whose volunteer life and professional life in the TV news business lead to stress, self-medication and a disastrous turn of events that result in a death, injured colleagues, jail and Griffin's exile from EMS. He finds a path to redemption, however, as patients who he helped in his 20 years as an EMT wonder if all the good he did should be erased by one mistake?
Tom resides in New Jersey where he hosts a podcast on creativity and does freelance communications work.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 12, 2026
Disorienting at first
Starting this book was like being dropped into chapter 2 or 3 of a historical account… all context was missing. Sure, I get the drama of setting the stage in the heat of the story, then dropping back to explain what happened, but I still needed a sentence or two. I had no idea what MOVE was initially. I actually thought this was a story about ‘moving’ a building, or a building demolishment that went wrong, or some kind of social movement. Even the book’s description didn’t give me that. It wasn’t until I googled MOVE Philly that I understood the context. Aside of that, it was a good book.
Starting this book was like being dropped into chapter 2 or 3 of a historical account… all context was missing. Sure, I get the drama of setting the stage in the heat of the story, then dropping back to explain what happened, but I still needed a sentence or two. I had no idea what MOVE was initially. I actually thought this was a story about ‘moving’ a building, or a building demolishment that went wrong, or some kind of social movement. Even the book’s description didn’t give me that. It wasn’t until I googled MOVE Philly that I understood the context. Aside of that, it was a good book.
May 15, 2024
Excellent background account of a tragedy
TK provides an enthralling commentary of the actions of a television capturing the tragic events of May 13, 1985. The courage of the reporters and crew to get the best news of a horrible day. The MOVe tragedy of 1985 was called by some “The Vietnamese War of Philadelphia”.
Great story TK.
TK provides an enthralling commentary of the actions of a television capturing the tragic events of May 13, 1985. The courage of the reporters and crew to get the best news of a horrible day. The MOVe tragedy of 1985 was called by some “The Vietnamese War of Philadelphia”.
Great story TK.
March 30, 2022
Unusual Story
Interesting times. We need more journalists like these today. The title and that cover left me confused at first though.
Interesting times. We need more journalists like these today. The title and that cover left me confused at first though.
February 12, 2016
Riveting recounting of tragedy
I remember being riveted to the TV that day, watching in horror as this tragedy unfolded. Tom Kranz ably recreates those tense hours that will be a blot on Philadelphia`s history.
I remember being riveted to the TV that day, watching in horror as this tragedy unfolded. Tom Kranz ably recreates those tense hours that will be a blot on Philadelphia`s history.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews