A long-time television anchor and reporter from New York City lost her job when he allegedly made derogatory remarks that were recorded by a hot mic.
According to Page Six, ABC 7 New York’s Ken Rosato was fired at the beginning of the month due to the crude remarks, which his agency has since insisted did not include a racial slur.
An source informed the newspaper that he was “immediately let go” and “fired for cause,” but they stopped short of saying why.
There hasn’t been a formal comment about the termination from the channel. The ABC affiliate has been contacted by DailyMail for additional commentary.
“Being fired for any racial slur is 100 percent inaccurate and untrue. Ken Rosato had a benchmark of 20 years at WABC of supporting all equality,” his spokesman said.
In a series of one-on-one meetings on Friday, Rosato’s former coworkers were informed of his termination. They were not informed of Rosato’s remarks.
He was described as “no longer with WABC” in an email issued to the staff. We appreciate all of his years of service.
Rosato began working for ABC New York in 2003 as a contract journalist for the network’s Eyewitness News program.
Alongside Shirleen Allicot, Heather O’Rourke, and Sam Champion, Rosato hosted This Morning beginning in 2007 and continuing to this day.
Rosato has been removed off the website and social media pages of ABC New York, along with a profile section that was done on him in September 2020.
Rosato claims in the episode that opera was his first love and that becoming a veterinarian was his ideal career. In the article, the former anchor also discusses his passion for cooking.
Rosato say the most magnificent event in his life was “When I was asked to front ABC New York’s news program.”
“I was a full time freelance reporter, I had a chance to fill-in anchoring. The ratings spiked. The ratings spiked.”
“Then I was told: ‘We are offering you a new contract. You are our new morning anchor.’ Which was the moment I dreamed about for about 20 years and it came true.”
Rosato worked for Fox New York and CBS Miami before joining the ABC affiliate, according to his LinkedIn profile. He received his education at NYU, where he majored in Spanish, Italian, and radio.
Rosato seems to have suffered a similar fate to Don Lemon, who was fired in April not long after being overheard on a hot mic criticizing former Daily Show host Jon Stewart.
That incident was only one of many that probably played a role in Lemon leaving CNN.
On his morning program, Lemon played a clip of Jon Stewart confronting US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks about what he called significant waste in the $850 million Defense Department budget.
Stewart responded, “I can’t figure out how $850 billion to a department means that the rank and file still have to be on food stamps,” in response to Hicks’ criticism of his explanation of the problem. To me, that’s f***ing corruption.”
Lemon can be heard stating on his microphone as the footage faded out, “He gets a lot of leeway with the comedian thing, though.” Lemon appeared to have been discussing Stewart with his other hosts as the clip was being shown.
After a brief pause, Lemon went back and said that Stewart is so much more than a comic, a statement he then made multiple times.
In addition to being a comedian, Stewart has developed into a steadfast supporter of American duty members and first responders throughout the years.
He has frequently pushed politicians in Washington on matters including healthcare for service members who were exposed to burn pits and benefits for 9/11 first responders.
Lemon tried to diffuse the issue after realizing what had transpired by stating: “We were just discussing that Jon Stewart is so much more than a comedian. He is a thought leader.”
