I once remember a John Stewart saying, "If it wasn't for NY1, we all would have cancelled our Time Warner accounts long ago." That was true. "Was" being the key word here because, what the now parent company of NY1 has done is completely deciamte a once venerated news organization. This would come center stage this week with a lawsuit settlement that could very well take the careers of five longtime news veterans.
NY1 news came out of the blue with a then wild idea in September of 1992. The idea was 24 hours of news...not a new concept in and of it self....but it had a twist. It would focus on the five boroughs of New York City. A city that brash and full of itself deserved a network with an idea that bold.
But could New York City fill an entire days news cycle continuously? Surely even, "The City That Never Sleeps" could have a few bleary eyed moments where there wasn't a rat attacking a cab driver, what then? What would fill the airways? NY1's answer? Culture, from Broadway to downtown Brooklyn, NY1's staff always found the best human interest stories. In a city like this, the stories sometimes wrote themselves.
Let us not forget that this is a....maybe "the" sports town. From the Yankees to the Rangers. New Yorkers in the Olympics, and even high school sports, NY1 covered it all. And they did so with a passion &dedication that would put ESPN and other major networks to shame.
Then came the talent. And here's where the real unique-ness of NY1 came to the forefront. Most network reporters televise from the field with a producer, camera operator and assistant, showing up to a story in your classic news van. This van is synonymous with TV journalism, with its large satellite dish and boom, its almost a cliché.
NY1 however, did things differently. They Realized the accuracy of a story mattered more than the fuzz. They often sent one reporter, armed with a small video camera, a tripod and maybe a MetroCard. this was laughably inept. There was no way a single reporter could show up to a breaking news scene or cover a City Hall presser by themselves. It would undoubtedly fail.
Except, it didn't. New Yorkers grew to love the gritty, fly by the seat of your pants, no fluff journalism NY1 offered.
From the almost dour, yet upbeat Lewis Doodley, to the upbeat and authoritative Cheryl Wills, both of whom have been at the station since the start, NY1 had a knack for matching talent to the story. After all, we are a picky city, and can quickly tell when that weather person is from Sacramento or Soundview.
Over the years, NY1 became an institution. The go-to network for most residents &workers. With its always reliable time and temperature box in the bottom corner, and its famous, "Weather on the 1's", NY1 just fit everyone's schedule like a pair of comfortable slippers.
It's rare that whole news channels get a cult following, aside from maybe The Weather Channel . But NY1 not only developed a fanbase among both the white collar and the working class of the city. Almost breaking a forth wall of sorts, they'd become a pop-culture reference too.
Featured in films like; "Elf", "Inside Man", "Cloverfield", and "Night at the Musuem", to name a few. It also became part of the NYC TV landscape, featured in shows like, "Third Watch" and, "Spin City." Even LA based/NYC set sitcom, "How I Met Your Mother" featured a character who was a NY1 reporter. To transcend a medium like this shows how well regarded the network is.
In a city where everyone has an opinion, NY1 gave city residents a soapbox to scream from. It all started with late night sports call-in show, "Sports on 1: The last word", wherein the typical radio call-in show was given a visual side.
But maybe its best foray into interacting with the public was the news call-in show simply titled, "The Call." Daring in the fact it gave larger voice to some of the...more colorful of the cities residents, The Call, lasted 12 years. It was, honestly, beautifully controlled chaos. reigned in brilliantly by anchor/reporter John Schiumo. In a time when it was still frowned upon for journalists to openly have an opinion, Schiumo didn't hold back if he disagreed with a callers, or politicians views.
The mornings however, are where NY1 began to set itself apart, and sadly, where the problems started to show.
Pat Kiernan, a Canadian transplant, started with the network in 1997. He cemented himself as a stalwart in the field. His dry humor peppering sometimes difficult stories was a more human approach. He has won praise and acclaim, rightfully so. Well-liked, he helped create what was an insane idea into something many viewers can't live without.
"In the Papers" is an idea so absurd it can only work in NYC. The segment, runs anywhere between 5-10 minutes long. In it, Kiernan literally reads and comments on random articles in that mornings newspapers. That's it, a guy on TV reading you the newspaper. And it's absolutely brilliant. His downhome-almost country like charm mixed with the barely jaded cynical city kid that make him a welcome morning face. NY1 became as much a part of the morning routine as hitting the snooze button 30 times.
Kiernan would often be Paired with journalistic Swiss-army knife Roger Clark. Clark could be found reporting from anywhere and everywhere in the city. Sometimes he would cover breaking news in Midtown. Sometimes he'd report from a dog park in Astoria.
But Kiernan couldn't be there every day obviously, and that is where we meet, "The Five." Kristen Shaughnessy would take over for Kiernan on off days. So popular and well-liked was she, that she landed the weekend morning anchor position.
Lighthearted but somehow at the same time no-nonsense, Shaughnessy took to the job and made it her own. The Hofstra graduate established a name for herself. She wouldn't just stick to the anchor desk, she would often head into the field, covering stories on her own. It would be this go-get-em attitude that would see her in the spotlight on the cities darkest day.
Reporting from 2 blocks away, She was doing her job, reporting on the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. She intently informed viewers of the scene when the south tower began to crumble. Her words, forever etched in time; "Oh its just coming down Pat...I'm gonna run..." as the line disconnected. Kiernan, left almost without words would wait for what seemed like eons. Trying to maintain, he wondered aloud if his colleague was now among the then estimated to be tens of thousands that would not survive. In the background, audible gasps are heard in the newsroom. Visibly shocked and concerned, he struggled to soldier on.
It would be nearly 15 minutes before she was heard from. In the time, 15 minutes seemed like an eternity. Shaughnessy would be among the countless throngs forced to run for their lives. This woman, ran BAREFOOT for blocks, along firefighters, police officers, EMT's. Finding the nearest payphone, she calmly called her newsroom, much to the relief of everyone. She would then continue to report for hours, despite being covered in dust. "You didn't know if the world was ending or what." she would later go on to say. "But there was still this civility and sense of help all around."
This woman is a journalist, through and through.
Roma Torre, New York born, would be the first person hired for the network. She became another NY1 stalwart, almost instantly. Asserting herself to be a preeminent force on the team, she took the lead on the late morning and early afternoon broadcast chair.
Dealing with NYC politics is hardly an easy task. She made it seem simple in the early days hosting "Inside City Hall", the networks political focused show.
But where Roma shines is her absolute and unflinching love for Broadway. She would utilize this passion for theatre by headlining a NY1 institution, "On Stage." With this platform, she dazzled. Giving well informed, detailed reviews of hundreds, maybe thousands of shows and performances. Her background in the industry would make her an invaluable resource for New Yorkers of all ages.
One of the toughest stories however, would be something that would affect her personally. In August of 2014, Torre announced she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She would take a brief leave absence, but return full throttle, bringing awareness to the disease. The two time Emmy award winner is a warrior.
Amanda Farinacci took an interesting beat. Staten Island. Often regarded as New York's, "Forgotten borough." The hard luck residents of the island are a tough crowd to please. It is Home to the cities only republican stronghold, and the island's blue collar, working-class population. It required a different approach then the big city.
Farinacci proudly showcased the cities most suburban part. She showed it did in fact have more stories to tell than the "jersey shore" crowd most seem to think it coveted.
Making made inroads with many 9/11 family members, and survivors, she was a unifying voice for many. Utilizing a personal connection to the FDNY, she would be the go-to for all things related to them.
She would take a lead role in reporting on the cities rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
In a time when many negatives are associated with Staten Island, her commitment to her home borough make her bastion of light. With the title, "Staten Island's Most Trusted Reporter", she proved that there are still islanders to be proud of.
Brooklyn born, and proud of it, Jeanine Ramirez covered her borough with the same unabashed pride and bravado as any Brooklynite would.
Taking skills imbued in her from Brooklyn Tech and Fordham, she took a brief detour to Texas before coming home to NY1. She would not just hold court at the anchor desk, but often take to the streets, and not just in the 5 boroughs. The lead Latino face of the network, she filed reports from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. She continues to serve as one of the leading voices for the cities immigrant communities.
The exemplary way in which she does her job has earned her multiple awards, including three from the venerated New York Press Club. One of her greatest honors however, was being named grand marshal for the National Puerto Rican day parade in 2002.
Joining NY1 in 2008, Vivian Lee was a new face to the station. Her multifaceted experience in both Canadian and American journalism made her a perfect fit. She is a top notch anchor, but a stellar reporter as well. Driven since childhood to be a journalist, she would fight and claw her way to the top.
She became the first New York reporter to announce the election of Pope Francis. She would later be among the honored few to cover the elimination of osama bin laden. A proud Koren American, she was awarded the mentor of the year award by University of New York's Asian American/Asian Research Institue.
These five women helped build the vaunted status that NY1 carried for more than a quarter century. That status is now being called into question. Time Warner Cable, NY1's parent company was acquired by Charter/Spectrum in 2106. Since then, a series of sweeping changes began.
In a vain attempt to attract younger viewers, new high-tech graphics and sets were made. Additionally, shows and talent were being ushered out the door. Schiumo and "The Call", Lee's "Spotlight", and "Sports on One: The Last Word", on the air since the 1992 launch, were all abruptly cancelled in 2017. None were happy, from viewers, to behind the scenes staff. It was only a sign of things to come.
For these five, Farriniaci, Lee, Ramirez, Torre and Shaughnessy, this would become the point of no return.
Following Charter's takeover, they saw less airtime than younger and male coworkers. It was also around this time the network itself began to change.
In January 2017, Anthony Proia became NY1’s News Director. Later that year, Melissa Rabinovich became Assistant News Director. They then began pushing younger talent into more visible and coveted anchor positions. They even created additional opportunities for younger journalists. This, usually is a good idea when done properly. This, however - was done at the expense of older talent, especially diluting the roles of these five.
A new, morning-news show, complete with multi-million dollar, high-tech studio known as," Studio A" was rolled out. "Mornings on 1", focusing on Pat Kiernan and longtime traffic reporter Jamie Stelter, with Roger Clark was born.
In contrast, "Studio B", where Torre broadcasted her live show, was older, less equipped, and comparatively inferior. Mornings are typically most watched, this is true. However, the level of attention and support provided to Kiernan was notable compared to Torre, with much less support. When Torre asked Proia why she could not use the morning studio for her live noon show, she was reportedly told to “stop complaining.”
It was clear the new network heads were pushing the two as a "Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest", and many were unhappy. Gone was the to-the point news of the day, replaced with forced banter and constant social media callouts.
Eventually, it was discovered, that Torre, despite being with the network since the start, was making less than half of her male counterpart, Kiernan.
Another point of note was the large multi-day celebration celebrating his 20 years with the network. NY1’s promotion of his anniversary bordered on the absurd. It included on-air segments, ad's on city buses and not one, not two, but three food trucks that traveled around the city with him. Roma Torre? She had been given barely a mention, despite her longer tenure. She received no special promotion whatsoever. No bus ad's, no food trucks. Nothing.
This would all culminate in the form of gender and age discrimination lawsuit, filed by the five women in the summer of 2019.
"It fits the rhetoric of 'These whiny old ladies are complaining again,'" Farinacci, told the New York Times. "But this is career-ending, these opportunities that we're not getting."
"It's always there as a woman," she added, noting that female anchors tend to disappear while their male peers get promoted. "How much longer do I have? Where am I going?"
They have unbelievably collectively worked at NY1 for more than century. They dedicated their lives to New York journalism.
Unfortunately, older women and those of color have been continually cast aside for younger women, and men especially. At the time of the lawsuits filing, Charter’s own website showed that only 2 of 19 people in its, “Company Leadership” are women. Of the 14 members of the Board of Directors, there is was only 1 woman.
Despite Torre’s extensive record, her role suddenly changed following the merger. In mid-2017, NY1 rolled out a new&revamped weekly schedule. This was done without any advance notice or discussion. Her shift was chopped and divided amongst other anchors.
Since launching "Mornings on 1", Shaughnessy was not allowed to fill-in for Kiernan. No reason was ever given. This is interesting especially since, in 2018, NY1 hired a talent review coach to provide feedback for its anchors. This coach, after reviewing her work, was reportedly shocked that she wasn't given a mid-week anchor spot after years of talent and hard work.
In March 2018, Farinacci, Rabinovich, Proia had a lengthy talk with NY1 political director Robert Hardt. Primary season was in full swing. On Staten Island, that meant the primary Congressional race between Michael Grimm and Dan Donovan would be a hot topic. Farinacci wanted in, righgtfully so.
She was given assurances that she would be heavily involved. This seemed a given seeing as how she is a island native, and was well liked among the boroughs Democrats and Republicans. She was the first to interview Grimm after his prison stint. She would also be first to break the news that he would be running for Congress post-incarceration.
NY1 planned the only debate in the race on June 14, 2018. She believed she would be a panelist, alongside chief political anchor Errol Louis, as was typically the way it was done. But, without any explanation, Rabinovich told Farinacci the week before that she would not play any role in the debate.
This is not how you treat a talented staff. Hell, this is not how you treat a bad staff. That being said, many hoped for a peaceful and proper resolution to the suit. That hope was lost on New Years eve, 2020, when it was announced that lawsuit was settled, but that the five would no longer be part of NY1.
To say this a blow to quality journalism in NYC at a time when it needs it most is putting it lightly. The real issue to note here is the fact that gender and age discrimination is still happening. While some of it might be difficult to prove, its still out there, and it needs to end. We can't let what these women did go unnoticed.
We need to show the world that discrimination of any kind is retroactive to the advancement of society as a whole. The fact that we are still having this discussion is insane. LGBTQ persons, people of color, and of disability are still face hardships because the wrong people are in charge.
These five women are what legends are made of. They stood up for an injustice. And because of that, they lost their jobs, and we lost some of the best damn journalists this city has ever seen. This is not how you run a business.
Charter has done nothing positive for NY1, or for the cable structure as a whole. Cable is facing its demise. The cable industry needs help. The news industry needs help. But Charter went out of its way to destroy one of the last best things cable news had to offer. We may never see the likes of a NY1 at its golden age ever again, and that's another tragedy.
The fact I, a male, am writing on the topic of a women's rights issue is not lost on me. I have been called a feminist by a few, a "Social Justice Warrior", or SJW by others. I don't necessarily consider myself anything. I do however wish for an ideal society, an ideal place where issues like this don't exist. A place where women and men, or whomever you identify as, are not just paid equally, but treated equally.
