Sexism on television: the New York TV host revolt

It is not sure if they won or lost in the end; the parties have agreed to confidentiality. In 2019, five presenters from New York cable station NY1 filed a lawsuit against their employer.

Kristen Shaughnessy, Jeanine Ramirez, Vivian Lee and Amanda Farinacci, led by the award-winning 62-year-old Roma Torre, accused their host of being discriminated against not only because of her gender, but also because of her age.

It was about screen presence, it was about pay issues, it was also about the broadcaster’s practice of hiring younger, less experienced women with more modest salary expectations.

“Huge loss”

The five plaintiffs are in their 40s and 60s, compared to the cast of Fox News, remarkably blonde and so popular with two million subscribers that even Governor Andrew Cuomo sent them a tear on Twitter. The station just lost five of its best female reporters, Cuomo wrote, “a great loss to the entire audience.”

Because after a year and a half, the process ended on New Year’s Eve with an agreement: “It was, the five women declared,“ in the interests of all parties that this legal dispute be ended. That is why we have agreed that we will go our separate ways.

Nothing is known about the modalities of the arrangement; the severance pay, although the broadcaster publicly denied the allegations, was likely to have been substantial. The women are clear of the screen, the transmitter is silent.

Men age with dignity, women cannot

The women were represented by the Manhattan law firm Douglas H. Wigdors. Wigdor has sued several large companies for discrimination, including Citigroup, Fox News and Starbucks.

The lawsuit against the television station NY1, although withdrawn, concerns an injustice known to television. German “Today” host Petra Gerster, for example, openly admitted that at age 40 she was forced to have her droopy eyelids corrected. The pressure behind it is rarely discussed. “On television,” Roma Torre said resignedly in an interview with the “New York Times”, “men age with a certain dignity, while for women the expiration date is at some point exceeded.”

In Switzerland, too, the question arose several times in the past whether SRF television presenters were “too old” for the camera from a certain point in time (read more about the topic here).

And at SRF?

Well-known former hosts of “Tagesschau” and “10 to 10” Beatrice Müller and Daniela Lager stopped in just over 50 years, Katja Stauber was 57 when she made her last appearance on “Tagesschau”. His male SRF colleagues Charles Clerc, Heinrich Müller, and Léon Huber only left later, when they were 60 or older.

Katja Stauber assured in connection with her last broadcast in April 2020 that her age was never a problem. On the contrary. In the news in particular, the audience wants competent information, not a beauty pageant. But of course you have to work in front of the camera and have a pleasant voice. “After all, we are a sound and image medium.”

SRF emphasized compared to other media Years ago, the age of the moderator did not matter. Criteria such as journalistic quality, experience, credibility and the suitability of the camera are in the foreground.

Thank you and the sender wishes you all the best

Charter Communications, the parent company of cable broadcaster NY1, announced in the run-up to the deal that the allegations by the five presenters were unfounded. NY1 is “a fair and respectful workplace.”

Now that the outcome of the proceeding has been determined, Charter made another statement. One is “satisfied” with the solution regarding the moderators’ complaint. “We would like to thank you for the years you have been dedicated to bringing news to New Yorkers and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”

Posted today at 4:49 pm