Morning co-anchor Carol MacKenzie of Audacy News 1060/103.9 KYW Philadelphia is taking legal action against the company, alleging gender and age discrimination.
According to Radio Insight, MacKenzie is seeking unspecified compensation for back pay, damages, interest, attorney fees, and injunctive and declaratory relief. MacKenzie claims that Audacy violated the Equal Pay Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
MacKenzie has been an employee at KYW since 2003. However, she alleges that she has faced persistent pay discrepancies compared to her male and younger colleagues. She initially started earning $20,000 to $30,000 less than her male peers who held equivalent positions. When she requested a raise in 2010, she claims she was turned down and informed that she couldn’t surpass the salary of anchor Ed Abrams.
Her allegations continue, noting that in 2011, two reporters who were 15 years younger than her were earning $10,000 more annually. In 2014, her colleague Brandon Brooks was promoted and given $30,000 more than her. After she discovered the pay gap in 2018, the station reportedly reduced Brooks’ salary while making a “modest” increase to hers.
In 2020, as KYW’s top earners faced voluntary pay cuts amid COVID-19, MacKenzie claims she agreed to a $20,000 reduction. However, the same year, Denise Nakano was hired as midday anchor for $20,000 more than MacKenzie. In 2021, a SAG-AFTRA investigation revealed “systemic gender-based pay violations” at KYW during MacKenzie’s tenure. While the probe was ongoing, she received a three-year contract renewal with salaries of $137,000 (2022), $140,000 (2023), and $143,000 (2024). Turning down the offer, citing it as below her male counterparts, Audacy upped their offer by $10-13,000 per year, which she accepted.
The legal action seeks a court order directing KYW to halt age discrimination and appoint an external monitor to oversee anchor and reporter pay rates for at least three years. MacKenzie independently handles the 5 am slot and co-anchors from 6-9 am with Ian Bush. Before joining KYW in 2003, she was a television news anchor at WBRE-TV Scranton, WHP-TV Harrisburg, and New England Cable News.
