Dave Kinchen

Fox 2 viewers have been watching Dave Kinchen’s reports since 2011, when he joined Fox Television Stations - based at Philadelphia’s Fox 29 News.

The Farmington Hills native’s stories would periodically air on Fox stations across the country through 2019 where, over those years, he covered the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and trial at Penn State, the trials 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 also spotted Dave’s reporting on prime-time FOX News Channel shows, along with Inside Edition, Dr. Phil, 60 Minutes, CNN and MSNBC. 

At Fox 2, Dave quickly became known for his signature coverage of the auto industry including the UAW’s historic strike against all three Detroit automakers - and being the first reporter on TV to break news of a deal that would bring an end to that work stoppage.

A lifelong observer of all things political and a former government official himself, Dave Kinchen was also noted for his extensive coverage of the 2024 presidential campaign as President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris - along with their running mates - crisscrossed Michigan for its 15 electoral votes.

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 the formation of the classic rock podcast "Rock of Nations with Dave Kinchen & Shane McEachern" 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.