01-12-2021
In June 2019, five female news anchors at NY1 filed a lawsuit alleging age and sex discrimination. In their suit, the women asserted that the station they worked at for many years, some dating back to the 1990s, changed after Charter-Spectrum became NY1’s parent company in 2016. The women claimed their male colleagues received preferential treatment that worsened as the women aged. The female anchors received less airtime, and the station blocked them from reporting on high-profile stories. After complaining about the differential treatment, management ignored their complaints and retaliated against them, according to the lawsuit. The women also claimed the male anchors received higher salaries. One of the female anchors, who joined the station at its inception, alleged she made “less than half” of what the male morning host made. When the male host reached 20 years with the network, NY1 initiated an extensive promotional campaign; however, the female host allegedly did not receive any special promotion when she hit 25 years on the air.
While the terms of the settlement remain confidential, the women issued a statement indicating they “mutually agreed to part ways.” Charter Communications thanked the women publicly for their years of “dedicated service” and wished them well going forward. Many prominent New Yorkers, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, responded sadly to the loss of the women at the local station.