Happy 20th Birthday NY1

Monday, 10 September 2012 | by Pat's Picks

It’s a big week at NY1. On September 8th, 1992, Time Warner created NY1 to serve a market that was curiously underserved—the biggest city in the country. This week, we’re celebrating 20 years on air.

New York City had plenty of “local” newscasts, but they all tried to be all things to all people by covering a vast metropolitan area that included parts of three states. The concept with NY1 was simple: focus on the five boroughs of New York City.

Viewers responded immediately. The station delivers a mix of hard news and softer features, but the emphasis is firmly on news that affects New Yorkers: transit, education, and a heavy dose of politics.

In an interview published this weekend by the International Business Times, NY1 general manager Steve Paulus said viewer loyalty comes from the station’s long-term outlook.  And in a business known for frequent changes of anchor teams, we’ve had remarkable consistency at NY1.  My colleagues Roma Torre and Lewis Dodley round out the weekday roster, and both have been with the station since the first day. Compared to them I’m the rookie as I celebrate 15 years as morning anchor.

Speaking of celebrating, on the NY1 website, you can stroll back through memory lane as we recount the 20 biggest news stories from the last two decades. Or if music is more your thing, here’s Composer-Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda performing a NY1-inspired rap. (A warning: The link may not be visible to folks who aren’t connected to the internet via Time Warner or Cablevision.)

It’s been a great run.  Here’s to 20 more!