Kiran Chetry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kiran Carrie Chetry
Born	August 26, 1974 (1974-08-26) (age 33) Kathmandu, Nepal
Occupation	News anchor (CNN)
Spouse	Chris Knowles
Children	Maya Rose Knowles (b. 2006) Christopher Chetry Knowles (b. April 17, 2008)
Website Biography on CNN.com

Kiran Carrie Chetry (born August 26, 1974 in Kathmandu, Nepal) is co-anchor of CNN's morning news program, American Morning.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 News Anchor 1.3 Mother 1.4 Sex Symbol 2 CNN Co-host 2.1 FNC Loses Kiran 2.2 American Morning Co-anchor 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Kiran (which means "ray of light" in Sanskrit and Nepali) was born in Shanta Bhawan Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Her father is Nepalese and her mother is 1/2 Ukrainian and a combination of Dutch and German^{[citation needed]}.) Seven months later, her parents, Homa Chetry and Nancy (who met while serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal) moved their new family of three to America. Kiran grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland and attended Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, Maryland) where she served in student government, danced on the pom squad,[1] and competed on the swim team. [2] Upon graduation she enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park's College of Journalism, where she joined the Alpha Pi chapter of Delta Delta Delta sorority^[1] and received her bachelor of arts in broadcast journalism.

[edit] News Anchor

Chetry began her career in 1995 at News 21 in Rockville, Maryland. The next year she moved to WICU-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she was the main anchor and health reporter. (She met her future husband Chris Knowles there who was the prime time news anchor.) She received the Best Enterprise Reporting award from the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association in 1997 for her series "Young and Hooked," which looked at teen smoking. In 1999 Chetry went from WICU-TV to KXTV in Sacramento, California to work as a morning anchor and reporter until joining Fox News Channel.[3]

In 2001 Chetry joined the cable news network Fox News Channel as a general reporter, first appearing on March 8, 2001, in a story about eating ice cream. The next year Chetry was honored with the Making our Mark (MOM) Award from the Association of Nepalis in the Americas. [4] During her time at Fox News, she worked as a rotating anchor for Fox News Live and the early morning news program Fox & Friends First. In late 2005, she became a regular co-host on the network's weekend morning news program, Fox & Friends Weekend.

[edit] Mother

Chetry is married to Chris Knowles, former Fox News Channel and current New York City's WPIX-TV weekend weatherman.^[2] On February 8, 2006, Chetry gave birth to their 6 lb. 10oz. daughter, Maya Rose. (Chetry has included her in special segments on Fox & Friends and American Morning.) On October 24, 2007, Chetry announced that she and Knowles were expecting their second child in an exclusive interview published by People magazine^[3]: Kiran gave birth to their first son, Christopher Chetry Knowles, on April 17, 2008 at 10:45pm weighing 7 pounds.

[edit] Sex Symbol

In 2006 Kiran made Maxim Magazine's top ten list of TV's Sexiest News Anchors, placing third on the list: Kiran was ranked as America's sexiest female anchor and the world's second sexiest female anchor.[5] On September 24, 2007, CNN's medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, used Kiran's photo to illustrate a study on the biological reasons that people gaze longer at attractive individuals: the segment on an American Morning was entitled, "Who's Hot to You? Why You Can't Look Away." In response to the attention to her physical beauty, Kiran stated, "It's not my primary focus." She added, "It's nice, it's a compliment, [and] sometimes, it's a little out of control."

[edit] CNN Co-host

[edit] FNC Loses Kiran

In early 2007, as Chetry's contract with Fox News neared the end of its term, the network negotiated with Chetry's agent to renew her contract. Her contract was expected to be renewed with her continuing to co-host Fox & Friends Weekend. However, talks ended when Fox News claimed in a February 15, 2007, letter to Chetry's agent, that Chetry had demanded "that Fox News include a clause in her new agreement that would have been detrimental to other Fox News Talent." The cable news network added that it would not renew her contract and that she was free to leave before the expiration of her contract:^[4] Chetry exercised that option. Allegedly, Chetry wanted a clause in her contract that would have had Gretchen Carlson, a co-anchor of Fox & Friends, fired.^[5][6] Chetry's agent countered that the allegation of Chetry's wanting Carlson fired was "absolutely false".^[7] Another source said that the clause in question merely requested a written clarification of whether Chetry would become a "Fox & Friends" co-host and, if so, when. If that were not to happen by a certain date, then Chetry would have a window to exit her new contract.^[8]

[edit] American Morning Co-anchor

Reportedly, CNN signed Chetry within an hour of her release from the Fox News Channel. After the deal had been inked, Chetry stated, "CNN is the gold standard when it comes to journalism, and I am thrilled to be part of the team."^[9] On February 16, 2007, Chetry began work as a CNN anchor and correspondent. That very day she served as a co-host on American Morning in the morning, and anchored Anderson Cooper 360 that evening. She went on to substitute as an anchor for Paula Zahn Now and CNN Newsroom.[6]

On April 3, 2007, The Post Chronicle reported that Chetry and John Roberts would replace Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien as co-anchors on American Morning. The next day, CNN's President Jonathan Klein officially announced Chetry as the new co-anchor. Her first American Morning broadcast was on April 16, 2007. Initially, Chetry co-hosted from New York whereas Roberts did so from Washington: now both generally co-anchor from CNN's New York studio. Ironically, Chetry's co-host is a native-born Canadian who gained American citizenship like her role model, Peter Jennings.[7][8][9] In addition to her American Morning duties, Chetry co-hosted with Roberts two CNN prime-time previews of the 2007 YouTube Democratic debate and the 01/07/08 CNN Election Center analysis of the post Michigan-primary presidential race. Moreover, she served as the iParty correspondent on CNN's 2008 New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Q&A: Kiran Chetry: On Career Transition, Nepal and Journalism, Nepal Monitor, July 8, 2007
• FNC loses Kiran: Fox to CNN, Carpe Diem
• CNN announces Chetry
• Kiran Chetry at the Internet Movie Database
• SAJAforum coverage of Kiran Chetry

v • d • e Co-Hosts of American Morning Current Chetry • Ogunnaike • Roberts • Velshi Former Cafferty • Collins • Cooper • Costello • Hemmer • Kagan • Myers • M. O'Brien • S. O'Brien • Serwer • Zahn