Longtime KYW Newsradio morning anchor Carol MacKenzie is suing parent company Audacy for gender and age discrimination, claiming she has been “systematically” paid less than her male coworkers and those younger than her.
The Philadelphia Business Journal reports MacKenzie, 58, has been a morning anchor for the radio station since 2003. The lawsuit seeks back pay, liquidated damages, interest, costs, negative tax consequence damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and attorneys’ fees from KYW. She is suing under the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
Philadelphia-based Audacy declined comment. The company bought KYW, which is simulcast on 1060-AM and 103.9-FM, in 2017 as part of its acquisition of CBS Radio.
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| Carol MacKenzie |
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on behalf of MacKenzie by Wayne-based lawyer Scott Pollins of Pollins Law, alleges that in the first several years of her employment, MacKenzie was paid roughly $20,000 to $30,000 less than “similarly situated” male coworkers.
In 2010, the lawsuit claims MacKenzie asked for a raise because she believed she was being paid less because she is a woman. The lawsuit alleges KYW management told her she couldn't have a higher salary than her male coworker, anchor Ed Abrams, implying that KYW “could not have a woman making more than a man.”
The lawsuit alleges that by 2011 at least two male reporters, John McDevitt and Ian Bush, who is about 15 years younger than MacKenzie, were making about $10,000 a year more than her. It also claims KYW offered employment agreements to Bush and McDevitt that same year but not to MacKenzie.
In the fall of 2014, KYW promoted Brandon Brooks to be a morning anchor at a significantly higher yearly salary than MacKenzie was making as a morning anchor, according to MacKenzie's complaint. The lawsuit claims KYW continued to pay MacKenzie significantly less than Abrams, Bush and Brooks over the next several years.
MacKenzie claims she found out Brooks was making about $30,000 more than her in 2018 and complained to KYW management about the gender-based salary inequity early the next year.
“KYW responded by lowering Mr. Brooks’ salary and modestly increasing her salary,” the lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit, KYW asked its highest-paid anchors and reporters to take a significant voluntary pay cut in the spring of 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Audacy and the station, with MacKenzie agreeing to a $20,000 reduction in her annual salary.
Shortly after, despite a hiring freeze, the lawsuit claims KYW hired former NBC10 anchor Denise Nakano, about 15 years younger than MacKenzie, to be a midday anchor and paid her $20,000 a year more than MacKenize. In November 2020, anchor Jay Scott Smith was also making about $20,000 a year more than MacKenzie, per the lawsuit.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing MacKenzie, conducted an investigation and audit of KYW’s compensation practices in late 2021 and early 2022, according to MacKenzie's complaint.
