‘PENALTY’ KICK
Anchor slams NY1 over Cup parade snub
NY1 anchor Roma Torre, booted Tuesday from her station’s live coverage of the U.S. women’s soccer team parade, charged the sudden benching was petty and punitive.
The 61-year-old newswoman, who last month accused NY1/Charter Communications with gender, age and equal pay discrimination in a federal lawsuit, noted the irony of her absence at an event celebrating America’s outspoken female soccer stars like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.
“NY1/Charter cannot on the one hand celebrate and promote women’s soccer, but on the other hand treat female employees in a manner that runs completely afoul of what the team and its players stand for and represent,” Torre wrote in an open letter about her broadcasting red card.
“U.S. women’s soccer has not only shown unmatched skill, heart and determination, but they have also stood up to combat discrimination against women and equal pay violations.”
The Americans filed a suit of their own earlier this year, a class action seeking the same pay as members of the lesssuccessful American men’s team.
Station management responded that no changes were made to any staffing for coverage of the parade, including Torre’s usual midday spot on the air.
“We are disheartened by this letter as Roma is fully aware of how we’re covering this story,” said spokeswoman Maureen Huff. “The parade is starting at 9:30 a.m. We’ve made no changes at all to our regular staffing in our studios. We will utilize our regular morning crew and contrary to what Roma said, she will go on air as usual at noon. The fact is that no NY1 anchors will be covering this from downtown.”
Torre, a 27-year NY1 veteran, appeared on air for the 2015 parade through the Canyon of Heroes for the winning women’s soccer team. She has also hosted several of the Broadway jaunts honoring the World Champion Yankees during her time at the station.
But Torre claimed that she was told by her bosses that assignments were changing for Wednesday’s coverage of the big celebration.
“Only weeks after our lawsuit, NY1 has informed me that I will not be involved in live parade coverage despite my request to continue in this role,” wrote Torre in her two-page missive. “Of course this is retaliation and a further demonstration of NY1’s complete failure to take women’s issues seriously.”
She further called on Mayor de Blasio to “condemn NY1’s actions in the strongest terms and continue to stand with us as we make change.”
Torre and four female colleagues — Amanda Farinacci, Vivian Lee, Jeanine Ramirez and Kristen Shaughnessy — filed the Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit three weeks ago. The quintet collectively claims more than a century’s worth of experience at NY1.
There was no immediate comment from the mayor. But Torre said she didn’t want to detract from the players’ accomplishments by raising her complaints.
“Quite to the contrary, I write this letter to congratulate them for their professional success and celebrate them for their willingness to speak up and speak out about the importance of advancing women’s rights,” she said.
De Blasio tweeted his support for Torre.
“Keeping one of our city’s best journalists on the sidelines during such a special day is an insult to New Yorkers,” he wrote. “@RomaTorreNYC is a tireless advocate who’s worked hard to earn the trust of New Yorkers — she belongs at this parade.
“Shame on @NY1.”