Longtime radio news anchor and reporter Tom Foty has died at the age of 77.
Foty worked at CBS News Radio since 1998, most recently serving as a fill-in anchor. In addition to his role with the network, he also made stops at WTOP in Washington D.C. as a reporter. He worked as a freelancer at the New York Daily News, Associated Press, and 1010 WINS during his time in New York before joining UPI’s radio network in 1973.
He ultimately rose to Washington Bureau Manager and Executive Editor of UPI Radio before departing in 1984. Tom Foty then joined NBC News Radio as its Deputy Washington Bureau Chief and remained there as the network was sold to Westwood One. He also served as one of the first editors of WTOP.com, which launched in 1996.
WTOP reporter Neal Augenstein remembered his former colleague, telling the station’s website, “Tom was the first person who trained me, when I came to WTOP, in 1997. Like Tom, I’d come from UPI. He’s remained the self-appointed historian of UPI.”
Auguenstein had high praise for Foty’s career.
“Old-school journalism ethics, great stories, everyday dependable. And he knew how the equipment worked,” the WTOP reporter said. “He really was the ultimate ‘radio guy.’”
In addition to his roles as a news anchor and reporter, Foty also worked as a technical consultant to news organizations, including ABC News Radio, USA Today, and the BBC.
