Kaity Tong

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kaity Tong (b. [[[Qingdao]] China) is a veteran Chinese American broadcast journalist who has been a television anchor in New York City since 1981. She graduated with honors from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania with a BA in English Literature, and earned a Masters Degree at Stanford University in California in Asian Studies. Her goal was to become a professor. She got sidetracked. She began her career as a street reporter for KPIX in San Francisco. In December 1979 she became co-anchor of the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts on KCRA-TV in Sacramento.

In 1981, she moved to WABC-TV in New York City. Within two years, she became co-anchor of the station's 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts, first with co-host Tom Snyder between the years of 1983 to 1984, and then with Ernie Anastos from 1984 to 1986. She was then moved to the 6 p.m. newscast, rotating the anchor chair with John Johnson alongside Bill Beutel after Roger Grimsby was fired in 1986, and later co-anchored the 11 p.m. news with Beutel from 1989 to 1991.

In 1984, she appeared as herself, reporting on the defection of the Soviet circus clown played by Robin Williams in the film Moscow on the Hudson.

She has also played a newscaster in Wolf,SpidermanI, Lost Souls, City Hall, Marci X, Night Falls On Manhattan and the 2004 remake of [[The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)|

She is one of the first high-profile Asian Americans in local television, and is known as a quick on her feet, articulate, pleasant and professional anchor. Her firing from WABC-TV in 1991 caused considerable outrage, especially since she was replaced by Susan Roesgen, who came from a small Midwestern station and who never adjusted to New York. Her discomfort appeared immediately and never dissipated; she barely cracked a smile during her entire tenure. Roesgen lasted only about a year on WABC-TV before being replaced by Diana Williams in 1992.

In early 1992, Tong joined WPIX as the station's top female anchor and has been there ever since. She co-anchored the station's 10 p.m. newscast with Marvin Scott from 1992 to 1994, with Jack Cafferty from 1994 to 1998, and with Ohio native (and sometime editorial writer for am Magazine), Jim Watkins (formerly of WNBC), since 1998.

Kaity is married to Patrick Callahan, a photographer. She has a son, Philip Long, from her first marriage to Robert Long, who is currently the news director and a vice-president at KNBC-TV (Los Angeles).