NEPA Radio: WILK's Frank Andrews Ends Long Broadcasting Career

A Northeastern Pennslyvania broadcaster whose career spanned 53-years on radio and TV has officially hung-up his headphones.

Frank Andrews (Skimkus) aired his final show Friday on Audacy's News-Talk  WILK 103.1 FM in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre market. 

For decades, Skimkus was a news anchor at WNEP-TV 16 and also served as a State Representative and mayor of Throop, a suburban city.

The 70-year-old Shimkus stated that although he was under contract until October 2023, Shimkus requested an early release. With six young children and 19 grandchildren, Shimkus said he decided it was time to spend more time with his family, especially his 6-year-old special needs daughter, Harper. 

According to recently unsealed court documents, Shimkus and his wife received a $19 million settlement for their daughter, who suffered severe brain damage, which they alleged was caused by a delay in delivering her in 2016. The settlement earmarked nearly $10.6 million for the child's lifetime care and about $1.3 million personally for the Shimkuses. The 2019 lawsuit named Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and several physicians.

Frank Andrews graduated from the University of Scranton in 1973 with a degree in English. He then went into broadcasting, despite the misgivings of his father (who thought broadcasters were carnies). After working as an announcer at WEJL in Scranton and WCAU in Philadelphia, he went into television. He served as an anchor and reporter at WNEP-TV16 in Scranton from 1980 to 1998, doubling for much of that time as news director. After a brief two-year hiatus, he moved to WYOU-TV22 as anchor and assistant news director.

Shimkus resigned from WYOU in March 2006 to run for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, winning a 5-way Democratic primary to succeed the retiring Gaynor Cawley in a district that included almost 60 percent of Scranton. He went on to easily win the general election.

He served as the state representative for the 113th house district from 2006 to 2008 and the mayor of Throop from February 2017 until he resigned to join WILK in October 2017.