Kiran Carrie Chetry ( ne, किरण क्षेत्री, born August 26, 1974) is a former
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
television broadcast
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
who, until 2011, was a
cable news
Cable news channels are television networks devoted to television news broadcasts, with the name deriving from the proliferation of such networks during the 1980s with the advent of cable television.
In the United States, the first nationwide ca ...
anchor for
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
's ''
American Morning''. From 2001 to 2007 she reported—and then anchored—cable news at
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
.
Early life and education
Kiran was born in Patan Hospital (Shanta Bhawan),
Patan,
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
. Seven months later her parents moved their new family to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Her surname,
Chetry, refers to the traditional
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
of rulers and soldiers among
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
in the
Middle Hills of Nepal. Kiran's father Hom Chetry belongs to this community. Kiran's mother Nancy is of German, Ukrainian, and Dutch ancestry.
[Nepal Monitor: "Q&A: Kiran Chetry: On Career Transition, Nepal and Journalism"](_blank)
July 2007 Her parents met while Nancy was a
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...
Volunteer in Nepal. Kiran grew up in
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg ( ), officially the City of Gaithersburg, is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, Gaithersburg had a population of 69,657, ...
and attended
Montgomery Blair High School
Montgomery Blair High School (MBHS) is a public high school located in Four Corners, Maryland, United States, operated by Montgomery County Public Schools. The school's total enrollment of 3,600 makes it the largest public high school in Montgo ...
in
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...
, where she served in student government, danced on the pom squad, and competed on the swim team. Upon graduation she enrolled at the
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...
's College of Journalism, where she joined the Alpha Pi chapter of
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart.
Tri Delta part ...
sorority and received her
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...
.
Career
Chetry began her career in 1995 at News 21 in
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...
. The next year she moved to
WICU-TV
WICU-TV (channel 12) is a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by SJL Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Lilly Broadcasting, owner of CBS/The CW Plus, CW+ aff ...
in
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
, where she was the main
anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...
and health
reporter
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
. (She met her future husband Chris Knowles there who was the prime-time news anchor.) She received the Best Enterprise Reporting award from the
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
Associated Press Broadcasters Association in 1997 for her series "Young and Hooked," which looked at teen
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...
. In 1999 Chetry went from WICU-TV to
KXTV
KXTV (channel 10) is a television station in Sacramento, California, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Broadway, just south of US 50 at the south edge of downtown Sacramento, and its tra ...
in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
to work as a morning anchor and reporter until joining
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
.
In 2001 Chetry joined the cable news network
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
as a general reporter, first appearing on March 8, 2001, in a story about eating
ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...
. The next year Chetry was honored with the Making our Mark (MOM) Award from the Association of Nepalis in the Americas. During her time at Fox News, she worked as a rotating anchor for ''
Fox News Live
''Fox News Live'' is an American news- talk television program, the hard-news daytime programming of the Fox News Channel. It also referred to the short headline segments of nearly every hour on Fox News.
About
The show featured news, guest anal ...
'' and the early morning news program ''
Fox & Friends First
''Fox & Friends First'' is a breakfast television show on Fox News. It airs every weekday at 4 a.m. Eastern/1am Pacific. The two-hour-long program hosted by Carley Shimkus and Todd Piro serves as a pre-show to the network's flagship morning show ...
''. In late 2005, she became a regular co-host on the network's weekend morning news program, ''Fox & Friends Weekend''.
Departure from FNC
In early 2007, as Chetry's contract with Fox News neared the end of its term, the network negotiated with Chetry's agent to renew her contract. Her contract was expected to be renewed with her continuing to co-host Fox & Friends Weekend. However, talks ended when Fox News claimed in a February 15, 2007, letter to Chetry's agent, that Chetry had demanded "that Fox News include a clause in her new agreement that would have been detrimental to other Fox News Talent." The cable news network added that it would not renew her contract and that she was free to leave before the expiration of her contract:
Chetry exercised that option. Allegedly, Chetry wanted a clause in her contract that would have had
Gretchen Carlson
Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (born June 21, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. Carlson appeared as the host of numerous television programs, most notably on the Saturday edition of ''The Early Show'' on ...
, a co-anchor of ''Fox & Friends'', fired.
[Chetry wanted colleague Gretchen Carlson fired](_blank)
, ''Mediabistro'', February 16, 2007
''New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'', February 17, 2007 Chetry's agent countered that the allegation of Chetry's wanting Carlson fired was "absolutely false".
[Fox News anchor out in contract drama.](_blank)
''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', February 17, 2007 Another source said that the clause in question merely requested a written clarification of whether Chetry would become a "Fox & Friends" co-host and, if so, when. If that were not to happen by a certain date, then Chetry would have a window to exit her new contract.
[Tug of War Between TV News Rivals](_blank)
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', February 19, 2007
''American Morning'' co-anchor
Reportedly, CNN signed Chetry within an hour of her release from the Fox News Channel.
[Official Press Release of Chetry's Hire at CNN](_blank)
, CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, February 16, 2007 On February 16, 2007, Chetry began work as a
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
anchor and correspondent. That very day she served as a co-host on ''American Morning'' in the morning, and anchored ''
Anderson Cooper 360
Anderson or Andersson may refer to:
Companies
* Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910
* Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car
* Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer
* Anderson R ...
'' that evening. She went on to substitute as an anchor for ''
Paula Zahn
Paula Ann Zahn (; born February 24, 1956) is an American journalist and newscaster who has been an anchor at ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, and CNN. She currently produces and hosts the true crime documentary series ''On the Case with Paula Zahn'' ...
Now'' and ''CNN Newsroom''.
On April 4, 2007, CNN's President
Jonathan Klein officially announced Chetry as the new co-anchor. Her first ''American Morning'' broadcast was on April 16, 2007. Her last day on ''American Morning'' and at CNN was July 29, 2011.
In August 2014, she co-anchored with
Errol Barnett
Errol Barnett (born 3 April 1983) is a British-born American anchor and national correspondent for CBS News based in New York City after covering the Trump administration for three years while based in Washington D.C. Barnett also anchored '' ...
a few late-night telecasts for CNN International. She was recently an infomercial presenter for Nutribullet.
Sex symbol
In 2006, Chetry made
''Maxim'' magazine's top-ten list of TV's sexiest news anchors, placing third on the list: she was ranked as America's sexiest female anchor and the world's second-sexiest female anchor.
Personal life
Chetry was divorced from Chris Knowles, a former
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
and New York City
WPIX-TV
WPIX (channel 11) is a television station in New York City. Owned by Mission Broadcasting, it is operated under a local marketing agreement (LMA) by Nexstar Media Group, making it a ''de facto'' owned-and-operated station and flagship of The CW ...
weekend weathercaster in 2013. They have a son and a daughter. Unlike other
Nepalese Americans
Nepalese Americans are Americans or Permanent Residents of Nepalese ancestry. Immigration from Nepal to the United States began in the 20th century, and many have been able to establish themselves as American nationals. The history of immigratio ...
, Chetry is a Christian.
See also
*
New Yorkers in journalism
New York City has been called the media capital of the world. Many journalists work in Manhattan, reporting about international, American, business, entertainment, and New York metropolitan area-related matters.
New Yorkers in journalism
A
...
References
External links
*
Q&A: Kiran Chetry: On Career Transition, Nepal and Journalism Nepal Monitor, July 8, 2007
Carpe Diem
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chetry, Kiran
1974 births
American people of Nepalese descent
Living people
People from Lalitpur District, Nepal
Television anchors from Sacramento, California
University of Maryland, College Park alumni
Fox News people
CNN people
American women journalists of Asian descent
American women television journalists
Christians from Maryland
Journalists from Maryland
Nepalese people of European descent
21st-century American women