A veteran New York news anchor and reporter is out of work and makes offensive comments caught on a hot microphone.
ABC 7 New York’s Ken Rosato was fired earlier this month over blatant comments his agent claimed did not contain a racial slur, reports Page Six.
An insider told the newspaper he was “fired immediately” and “fired for cause” but didn’t move on.
There was no official statement from the broadcaster about the dismissal. has reached out to the ABC affiliate for further comment.
“Being fired for a racial slur is 100 percent inaccurate and untrue.” “Ken Rosato has been a WABC advocate for 20 years in support of all equality,” his spokesman said.
Rosato reportedly made an “offensive” off-air remark and was fired “immediately for cause.”
Ken Rosato has been fired from ABC New York after 20 years at the network after a hot microphone incident
Rosato’s former colleagues were informed of his sacking in a series of one-on-one meetings on Friday. They weren’t told what Rosato said.
An email was also sent to staff saying he was “no longer with WABC”. “We thank him for his years of service.”
Rosato started at ABC New York in 2003 as a freelance reporter for the brand’s Eyewitness News show.
In 2007, Rosato got a chance to be the anchorman, co-hosting “This Morning” with Shirleen Allicot, Heather O’Rourke and Sam Champion.
Rosato’s presence was removed from ABC New York’s website and social media, including a profile segment created about him in September 2020.
An email was also sent out to staff stating that Rosato “is no longer with WABC.” We thank him for his years of service.
The presenter started the channel in 2003 and began anchoring in 2007
In the segment, Rosato says his first love was opera and that his dream job was to become a veterinarian. The former presenter also talks about his love of cooking in the play.
During the interview, Rosato is asked what the most glorious moment of his life was. The host replies that it was when he was asked to host the ABC New York news program.
“I was a full-time freelance reporter and had the opportunity to fill in as a presenter. Ratings skyrocketed. Ratings skyrocketed.
“Then I was told, ‘We’re offering you a new contract.’ “You are our new morning anchor.” That was the moment I’ve dreamed of for about 20 years and it came true.”
According to his LinkedIn page, Rosato previously worked for Fox New York and for CBS Miami before ending up at the ABC affiliate. He is a graduate of NYU where he majored in Radio, Italian and Spanish.
In a 2020 interview, Rosato described his rise to the anchor post at ABC New York as the “most glorious moment” of his life
It appears Rosato has suffered the same fate as Don Lemon, who was fired in April shortly after he was caught on camera with a hot microphone disparaging former Daily Show host Jon Stewart.
That incident was one of many that likely contributed to Lemon’s departure from CNN.
On his morning show, Lemon tuned in to a clip of Jon Stewart conducting an interview with Assistant Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, in which Stewart accused the official of what he called an extreme waste of the Department of Defense’s $850 million budget confronted.
Contradicting Stewart’s description of the problem, Hicks replied, “I don’t understand how $850 billion for a department means that the base still has to be on food stamps.” To me, that’s damn corruption.”
As the video fades out, Lemon is heard saying over his microphone, “He has a lot of leeway with the comedian thing, though.” It appeared as Lemon was chatting with his co-hosts about Stewart while the clip was playing.
After a few seconds of silence, Lemon backed down and said that Stewart was so much more than a comedian, a point he then reiterated several times.
In addition to being a comedian, Stewart has become a staunch advocate for American servicemen and first responders over the years.
He has lobbied multiple times with lawmakers in Washington on issues such as benefits for post-9/11 first responders and health insurance for service members exposed to fire pits.
Realizing what had happened, Lemon attempted to bring the situation under control, saying, “We were just talking about Jon Stewart being so much more than a comedian.” “He’s a thought leader.”