By JERRY BARMASH
Motherhood is definitely agreeing with ex-anchor Jodi Applegate. She took a step back from her high profile gig at WPIX in December to concentrate on expanding her family with husband, YES Network’s Michael Kay.
Applegate had been the solo anchor of the station’s 5 and 10 p.m. broadcasts. Her hope was to remain with the station in a part-time capacity while caring for her three-month old daughter. Kay took to Twitter moments before she signed off at PIX to air his displeasure with the Channel 11 brass.
“That was unfortunate. It’s hard to really convey emotion in 140 characters,” Kay tells Tuned In. “I just felt that if they would have just let her do one show, she would have stayed. They needed her for two [shows] because she’s so good. But I didn’t mean any animosity toward it at all.”
The PIX anchor since October 2010, Applegate offered to tape segments, giving her a presence in both broadcasts.
“That just wasn’t in their plans,” Applegate says. “I understand. They’re running a business.”
A WPIX spokesperson tells Tuned In, “Leaving PIX11 was Jodi’s decision. We enjoyed working with Jodi and offered her several different options at the end of her contract but she chose not to renew.”
She also realizes the business of TV news and parenting can make strange bedfellows.
“Anchoring a newscast isn’t like working in a factory, except that time-wise, hours are very rigid. I was there after 11 p.m. every night. Anyone who has kids who works that shift knows that it’s tricky,” Applegate says.
Going forward, Kay wants the PIX experience to play heavily in his wife’s future endeavors.
“The next job that she has I hope that they’re more ‘mommy friendly,’” Kay says. “Not that they weren’t, but they needed her for two shows. The next job she is going to want to be a mom and be on TV.”
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