Ken Rosato allegedly had back pain and was resentful towards his co-anchor Shirleen Allicot during his final days at WABC 7. Insiders believe that Rosato lost his job and $500,000 annual salary after referring to Allicot as a vulgar term in an off-camera comment because the station was increasingly favouring her over him. Colleagues are divided over his departure, with some claiming they miss him, and ABC and Rosato’s rep both declined to comment on the situation.
Ken Rosato allegedly struggled with back pain and resentment towards his co-anchor Shirleen Allicot, which may have led to him losing his job at WABC 7 after he referred to her as a “c–t” in an off-camera comment, despite sources claiming it was out of character for him, and that the station had been favoring Allicot over him.
Former WABC anchor, Ken Rosato, was allegedly struggling with back pain and resentment towards his co-anchor, Shirleen Allicot, during his last days at the station. Sources revealed that Rosato became frustrated with the station’s growing preference for Allicot, which reportedly led to him referring to her as a “c–t” in an off-camera comment. This resulted in Rosato losing his job, which reportedly paid him $500,000 annually.
Insiders believed that Rosato may have been struggling with the station’s increasing preference for Allicot due to her different work style. The veteran anchor had been with WABC for two decades and may have been less driven than his co-anchor. However, sources claimed that Rosato’s remark towards Allicot was out of character for him, as he was known to be a respectful and friendly person.
Although some TV insiders considered Rosato’s annual salary of $500,000 as low for a popular New York anchor who had worked at the station for over two decades, it is unclear what triggered Rosato to make the comment about Allicot. Despite his exit from the station, sources revealed that the newsroom was divided over his departure, with some expressing that they missed him while others did not seem upset that he was gone.
Rosato has not publicly addressed his dismissal, but he seems to be taking the situation in stride. He celebrated his 24th anniversary with his husband, Chris Sobel, looking blissful just a day after his firing. Representatives from ABC and Rosato’s team have not commented on the incident.