Kaity Tong is a Chinese-born American broadcast journalist.
28 Facts About Kaity Tong
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Kaity Tong has been a television news anchor in New York City since 1981.
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Kaity Tong was born in Qingdao, China and arrived in the United States with her family at age four.
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Kaity Tong's mother worked for the Voice of America as a broadcaster and producer in Washington, DC.
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Kaity Tong graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature.
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Kaity Tong was accepted to the doctoral program of Stanford University in Chinese and Japanese literature, and she intended to be an instructor in English literature.
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However, while at Stanford, Kaity Tong began her broadcasting career, getting what she thought would be a summer job as morning editor and producer for KPIX-TV All-News Radio in San Francisco.
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Kaity Tong managed to complete her master's degree in Asian studies but was sidetracked by the news business.
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Originally hired as a writer for the station, Kaity Tong was asked to do an on-air test and was immediately promoted to a street reporter, where her first on-air story was a report on the new carts that transported people around the airport.
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Kaity Tong moved to the 6 pm newscast, rotating the anchor chair with John Johnson alongside Bill Beutel after Roger Grimsby was fired in 1986, while still co-anchoring the 11 pm broadcast with Anastos until he left for WCBS in 1989.
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Kaity Tong has played a newscaster in Wolf, City Hall, Marci X, Night Falls on Manhattan, and the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate.
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Kaity Tong's firing from WABC-TV in 1991 caused considerable outrage.
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Kaity Tong was replaced by Susan Roesgen, who came from a small Midwestern station and who never adjusted to New York, lasting only a year on WABC-TV.
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Station management stated that Kaity Tong was released due to her high salary which was $750,000 per year at the time.
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In early 1992, Kaity Tong joined WPIX as the station's top female anchor and has been there ever since.
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Kaity Tong co-anchored the station's 10 pm newscast with Marvin Scott from January 1992 to September 1992, with Jack Cafferty from September 1992 to October 1998, and with Jim Watkins from October 1998 to 2010, when Watkins was fired.
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Kaity Tong has since been weekend anchor for the station.
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Kaity Tong was involved in a 2010 lawsuit by former news director Karen Scott against WPIX for age discrimination when Scott and other veteran broadcast personnel lost their jobs, later testifying in court.
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However, in September 2016, the newscast was cancelled and Kaity Tong was moved back to weekends.
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Kaity Tong joined Gloria Steinem and Beverly Sills in receiving the Exceptional Achievement Award from The Women's Project.
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Kaity Tong was the first woman honored by Rotary International with its Paul Harris Fellowship.
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Kaity Tong was honored with a Star award by the New York Women's Agenda.
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Kaity Tong has been recognized by the Chinese America Arts Council for her excellence in communication.
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Kaity Tong received a Distinguished Woman award from the Chinese-American Planning Council and a Champion of Excellence Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans.
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Kaity Tong's name has inspired many first-generation Chinese-American parents to name their New York-born children after her.
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Kaity Tong has a son, Philip Long, from her first marriage to Robert Long, former news director and a vice-president at Los Angeles's KNBC-TV until September 25,2009.
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Kaity Tong later married photographer Patrick Callahan until their divorce.
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Kaity Tong is 77th generation descendant of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.