Dave Kinchen
Dave Kinchen is proud to be back home in Metro-Detroit and reporting for Fox 2 after spending more than a decade covering news in Philadelphia.
The Farmington Hills native served Philly’s Fox station as a reporter from 2011 through 2019, where he covered the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and trial at Penn State, the criminal prosecution of Bill Cosby, Hurricane Sandy, the riots in Baltimore after the police custody death of Freddie Gray, the deadly 2015 Amtrak derailment, the Eagles Super Bowl victory and Pope Francis’ historic visit to America, among other national and international stories.
Viewers have spotted Dave’s reporting on prime-time FOX News Channel shows, along with Inside Edition, Dr. Phil, 60 Minutes, CNN and MSNBC.
In 2017 Dave began a side career as a music journalist, landing exclusive interviews with two of his heroes: Paul Stanley of KISS and former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar. This led to formation of the classic rock podcast "Rock of Nations with Dave Kinchen" which broke numerous stories featured in Rolling Stone, Variety, NME and other music publications for interviews with guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Michael Schenker and legendary members of Toto, Yes, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Blue Oyster Cult and more.
He stepped away from news for nearly two years to serve as spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and his administration, focusing on criminal justice and public safety, where he wrote speeches and statements for the Mayor and senior administration officials.
Dave then returned to Fox 29 with a broader perspective on the issues he covered, before moving to Detroit.
He studied Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy at Michigan State University’s James Madison College and spent summers in between semesters as a writer and production assistant for WXYZ-TV. During his freshman year in 2001, he launched the successful Student Reporter series at Channel 7, discussing news and events from a youth's perspective. Industry veterans said Dave was one of the youngest on-air presenters in Detroit history at the time.
It was at Lansing's WLNS where Dave started his full-scale reporting career. He'd go on to spend several years covering Michigan’s auto industry and state politics, with additional stops at WNEM in Saginaw and WEYI in Genesee County. The latter saw Dave contributing as a weather forecaster and weekend anchor as well.
Dave’s return to covering Michigan news also means a return to hometown community service - the roots of which date back to the mid-90s when he did volunteer video filming for Father Cunningham’s Focus Detroit, and for sporting events with the Farmington Area School District.
That led to him starting a youth issues-focused cable TV show called "Teen-Age" at the age of 14, which aired in Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi and surrounding communities. Later, Dave was appointed to the Cable Access Committee of the Southwest Oakland Cable Commission (SWOCC) and the Farmington Hills/Farmington Commission on Children, Youth and Families.
He furthered this work on the national level when appointed by then-Detroit Mayor and National League of Cities President Dennis Archer as a member of the National League of Cities Council on Youth, Education and Families, chaired by then-Boston Mayor Tom Menino.
In 2001, Dave testified before both houses of Congress in a congressional briefing on the state of after-school funding, and led non-partisan efforts to get young people engaged in public affairs at the state level as Youth Coordinator for the Michigan Municipal League, representing the organization on the Michigan After-School Initiative Task Force, Michigan Ready To Succeed Partnership, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers committee.
When not chasing down the latest breaking story, he’s working to book the next interview with his favorite rock icon, catching live music somewhere around town, or cheering on his beloved Spartans along with Detroit’s legendary teams.
Email him at David.Kinchen@FOX.com and follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveKinchenUSA and his Rock of Nations podcast Twitter account HERE.
The latest from Dave Kinchen
Aretha Franklin's estate divided among her sons 5 years after her death
Citing the 2014 will found in her couch, a judge divvyed up three of Aretha Franklin’s houses, her cars, money, and other assets among her sons.
Freighter carrying 21,000 tons of wheat runs aground on Detroit River
A freighter traveling from Canada to Italy ran aground Monday morning in the Detroit River. Tugboats are working to free the ship, but the process could take several days.
Roseville mother of 2, aunt of Oxford school shooting victim killed in 3-car crash
Baldwin's fiancé, Matthew Hatch, said her loss has been “the worst possible experience” of his life. An Amazon wishlist has been created to financially assist Baldwin's family and provide her children with Christmas gifts and necessities.
Last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers talk inflation, cooking plans
Last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers are swarming local stores for groceries. One shopper said groceries were more expensive this year.
Whitmer signs law prohibiting those convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun
As part of one of the final gun safety bills the governor will sign, those convicted of domestic abuse will not be allowed to own a gun or purchase ammo for an allotted amount of time.
DTE pilot program buries power lines to increase resilience
DTE crews are excavating deep holes in several Metro Detroit neighborhoods, strategically installing power lines underground as a part of a pilot program that seeks to reduce power outages.
Rise in police chases leads Warren chief to call for harsher penalties for fleeing
“Most jurisdictions don’t even chase these people anymore because there’s no teeth in the law," said Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer.
Warren police chase ends with suspect shot on I-94
Warren Police said the regular traffic stop escalated when the suspect attempted to flee. This incident marks the fourth police pursuit in Warren within the past 24 hours.
UAW decision on GM tentative agreement remains uncertain
There are 46,000 workers employed by GM that are voting on their own agreement. As of Wednesday afternoon, 17,135 GM union members voted yes, while 14,657 voted no.
Oxford School Board comments on shooting report, parents express ongoing concerns
The school board apologized to all Oxford students, the victims, families, and staff in a meeting on Tuesday. However, numerous parents expressed that an apology alone is insufficient; they are calling for the removal of board members.