Veteran television news executive Karen Scott died Wednesday after having spent decades helping to oversee coverage in the nation’s biggest news market.
Scott had worked as a top producer WNBC before becoming the news director at WPIX. She helped oversee WNBC news broadcasts in the late 1980s and 1990s, and headed the WPIX newsroom until 2009.
Scott won dozens of Emmy, Murrow and AP News awards for her coverage of major events like 9/11, the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, major political elections, and countless social and human interest stories.
"Nobody worked harder than she did in putting newscasts together — or with more skill,” said veteran WNBC anchor Chuck Scarborough. “And she was great fun to work with.”
In addition to Scarborough, Scott produced newscasts at WNBC with Sue Simmons, Al Roker and Len Berman, among many others. At WPIX, she oversaw a news department that included Kaity Tong, Jack Cafferty, “Mr. G”, Mary Murphy and Marvin Scott.
“She gave many people the opportunity to shine,” said longtime New York news reporter Mary Murphy in a tribute on social media.
Scarborough said Scott supported her newsroom and staff in the “best possible way.”
Scott died at age 75 in Baltimore. She battled Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade.
“Sadly, Alzheimer’s took away her chance to enjoy retirement,” Murphy wrote in her tribute.
She is survived by family that includes her brother, nephews and nieces. Her partner, newsman Michael Callaghan pre-deceased her.
Funeral services for Scott are set for Sunday in Pikesville, Maryland.
