Roz Abrams (b.1949 in Lansing) is a television journalist. She most recently worked for WCBS-TV in New York City from 2004 to 2006. Abrams became popular with New Yorkers during her long-running work as an anchor on WABC-TV's Eyewitness News at 5. Abrams is credited with being the first African-American female journalist to join WABC-TV, and the second anchorwoman of color in the New York television market, after Sue Simmons of WNBC-TV.

Career History and Honors

• In 2005, she appeared as herself during a news segment in the feature film War of the Worlds (2005 movie), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise.
• She previously worked at WSB-AM radio (1975-1978), WXIA-TV (1978-1982), CNN (1982-1983) and KRON-TV (1983-1986).
• Most recently, Abrams received a New York Association of Black Journalists Award for the special "The Sounds of Harlem." She has been part of award-winning coverage for some of the biggest stories of our time, including 9/11, the Blackout of 2003, the end of Apartheid in South Africa, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the worldwide Aids epidemic.
• In December of 2003, Abrams was named to the Editorial Advisory Board of “Making Waves,” the new quarterly publication of American women in radio and television. She is the current co-chair of NY READS TOGETHER.
• Abrams currently holds a B.S. degree from Western Michigan University, a Masters Degree from the University of Michigan and an Honoree Doctorate of Humane Letters from New York Institute of Technology.

Career in New York

From WABC-TV to WCBS-TV

Before joining WCBS-TV in 2004, Abrams had spent 18 years at WABC-TV, where she worked alongside veteran New York television journalists Bill Beutel, Ernie Anastos , Greg Hurst, Robb Hanrahan , Kaity Tong, Bill Ritter, Liz Cho, and Diana Williams

Abrams began working at WABC-TV in February 1986 as a general reporter, and eventually became 5 p.m. co-anchor. The quick move began Abrams' long-term stint with the station. Her last partner at WABC-TV was Diana Williams, beginning in 2003.

In late 2003, Roz Abrams was offered a contract by WCBS-TV to anchor CBS 2 News at 5 and 11. It is rumored that Abrams wanted to anchor the 11 p.m. news after Williams had asked for a lighter workload; however, the station selected Liz Cho (former ABC World News Now anchor) instead. As a result, Abrams remained on Eyewitness News at 5 until she left for WCBS-TV. The move ended Abrams' 18 year history with the station. Sade Baderinwa now anchors the 5 p.m. edition of Eyewitness News with Williams.

Abrams then joined WCBS-TV as the co-anchor of "CBS2 News" at 5 and 11 p.m. on April 19, 2004. She was first paired with veteran New York news anchor Ernie Anastos (who co-anchored WABC's Eyewitness News with her in the 1980s) and then with Jim Rosenfield. In April 2006, she was moved from 11 p.m. to noon, co-anchoring with Mary Calvi. Abrams was replaced at 11 p.m. with veteran Dana Tyler. However, in November 2006, Abrams left the air after WCBS-TV sports anchor Chris Wragge and new hire Kristine Johnson (formerly of NBC News and MSNBC) became the anchors at 5 and 11 p.m., while Tyler and Jim Rosenfield now anchor at noon and 6 p.m. Calvi has returned to anchoring the weekend editions of "CBS2 News", while Abrams remains off-air as she awaits the expiration of her contract.

According to the New York Post, Ms. Abrams is "currently sitting out her contract - and collecting what's believed to be roughly $6 million that's due to her." Abrams has not reappeared, and may never do so, since she had a long-term contract with the station.

Revitalization at WCBS-TV

While Roz Abrams was an active part of CBS2 News, she really did more than anchor the 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts. In addition to anchoring, she held a series about the impacts of having HIV/AIDS. In this series, Ms. Abrams went out in the urban communities and spoke to women and men that was infected at the hand of a thought to be "monogomous" relationship. Abrams remarked in 2003 that she left Eyewitness News because she did not have an important enough load or even a large enough profile.

It was rumored that Abrams has had a face lift upon her arrival at WCBS-TV. Ironically, CBS commented that Roz Abrams was let-go from their flagship station because the general management was in search of "younger faces" (hence the hiring of Kristine Johnson and promotion for Chris Wragge who had replaced Warner Wolf in 2004).

A Possible Return to Local News in New York City

Rumors in 2007 speculated that Ms. Abrams was in talks with WNBC-TV to return back to NY television news. The deal fell through, and it appears Roz is in a temporary retirement. But there has been speculation that Roz could make a return to television news in the Nw York Market. A possible return to CNN could be in her future or joining former co-anchor Ernie Anastos at WNYW-TV, replacing Rosanna Scotto on the evening's newscasts.

In August and September, 2008, new rumors and speculations has begun to surface surrounding who the people would like to see replace Rosanna Scotto on the 6 and 10 PM newscasts on FOX 5 News. Among the people suggested (according to the New York Daily News) were Dana Tyler of WCBS-TV and Roz Abrams formerly of WCBS-TV.

References