Kaity Tong

Career Tong's television career began as a reporter for KPIX-TV in San Francisco, where she worked from 1976 to 1979. Originally hired as a writer for the station, Tong was asked to do an on-air test and was immediately promoted to a street reporter, where her first on-air story was a report on the new carts that transported people around the airport. In December 1979, she became co-anchor of the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California where she soon became number one-rated out of all the television news personalities in Sacramento. to 1984 and later with Ernie Anastos until 1986.

She moved to the 6 p.m. newscast, rotating the anchor chair with John Johnson alongside Bill Beutel after Roger Grimsby was fired in 1986, while still co-anchoring the 11 p.m. broadcast with Anastos until he left for WCBS in 1989. Eventually her sole anchor role was the 11 p.m. news, as Beutel became solo anchor of the 6 p.m. broadcast. In 1984, she appeared as herself, reporting on the defection of the Soviet circus performer played by Robin Williams in feature film Moscow on the Hudson. She has also played a newscaster in Wolf, City Hall, Marci X, Night Falls on Manhattan, and the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. Capital Cities/ABC chairman Thomas Murphy said it was "strictly a business decision."

WPIX In early 1992, Tong joined WPIX as the station's top female anchor until her retirement on August 30, 2026. She co-anchored the station's 10 p.m. newscast with Marvin Scott from January 1992 to September 1992, with Jack Cafferty from September 1992 to October 1998, and with Jim Watkins from October 1998 to 2010, when Watkins was fired.

She has since been weekend anchor for the station. Tong was involved in a 2010 lawsuit by former news director Karen Scott against WPIX for age discrimination when Scott and other veteran broadcast personnel lost their jobs, later testifying in court.

In January 2016, Tong returned to weekdays, co-anchoring a new 6:30 p.m. newscast alongside longtime former WWOR anchor Brenda Blackmon. However, in September 2016, the newscast was cancelled and Tong was moved back to weekends.

On Tuesday, August 4, 2026 she announced that would retire at the end of this month after being with the network for 34 years. Her final newscast was on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

Awards Tong joined Gloria Steinem and Beverly Sills in receiving the Exceptional Achievement Award from The Women's Project. She was the first woman honored by Rotary International with its Paul Harris Fellowship. She was also honored with a Star award by the New York Women's Agenda. She has been recognized by the Chinese America Arts Council for her excellence in communication.

She received a Distinguished Woman award from the Chinese-American Planning Council, and a Champion of Excellence Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans. A naturalized citizen, Tong received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her work.

In 2018, the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Tong the Governor's Emmy Award “for her four decades of presenting the news with integrity and compassion.” Tong has received several Emmy Awards over the years, including Outstanding Event Coverage for "9/11 America Remembers" in 2003 and Outstanding Single Newscast over 35 Minutes for "WB11 News at 10: 9/11 Day of Tribute" in 2004. She later married photographer Patrick Callahan until their divorce.

She is also 77th generation descendant of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.