Editor’s note: The video above aired in a previous newscast.
NEW YORK (PIX11) – It’s officially the end of an era in New York City and at PIX11 News.
PIX11’s very own Kaity Tong has announced her retirement from the news industry. Tong, who anchors the Emmy Award- winning PIX 11 News at 5 and 10 on weekends, will have her last day on-air Aug. 30, 2026.
Discover more local reporting on our homepage
Born in China, she came to the United States with her family at age four. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and was inspired to become a journalist by her great-uncle, Hollington K. Tong, who was Ambassador to the U.S. from Nationalist China, as well as an acclaimed writer, and by her mother, who was a top broadcaster and producer for the Voice of America.
After graduating with honors on an academic scholarship from Bryn Mawr College with a BA in English Literature. She was later accepted to Stanford University’s doctoral program in Chinese and Japanese studies.
Kaity joined WPIX in the 1990s and has been with the team for more than thirty years.
Kaity joined Gloria Steinem and Beverly Sills in receiving the “Exceptional Achievement Award” from The Women’s Project and was the first woman honored by Rotary International with its “Paul Harris Fellowship.” She was also honored with a “Star” award by the New York Women’s Agenda.
Kaity has been recognized by the Chinese America Arts Council for her excellence in communication. She has received a “Distinguished Woman” award from the Chinese-American Planning Council and a Champion of Excellence Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans.
A naturalized citizen, Kaity is especially proud to have received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her work. She was recently honored by the popular website, Fabulous Over Fifty.
She is actively involved with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the League for the Hard of Hearing, the China AIDS Fund, Plate to Plate, and Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, just to name a few.
Last year, in 2025, Tong was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
“Journalist, anchor, icon, legend, friend, mentor. A few of the words that describe our beloved Kaity Tong,” Managing Editor Patrick Mason wrote to the PIX11 team. “After more than 34 years at WPIX, Kaity has opted to move into a much-deserved retirement at the end of August. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the New York City area who doesn’t immediately associate PIX11 with Kaity. A powerhouse name in an industry that can change in a New York minute.”
We thank Kaity for her many years of hard work and dedication at PIX11 News and congratulate her on retiring.