Ernie Anastos, a seasoned presence in New York television evening news broadcasts, passed away last week. His legacy includes not only accolades but also an endearing moment that captured public attention: his infamous “chicken” gaffe during a live broadcast.
In what seemed like a standard news briefing at WNYW (Channel 5), Anastos found himself exchanging pleasantries with the station’s weatherman, Nick Gregory. In a playful exchange over Perdue Chicken—a renowned poultry brand—Anastos made a quip about the tough job of predicting the weather. He remarked, “It takes a tough man to make a tender forecast, Nick.”
But his jest took an unexpected turn when he directed more pointed criticism at Gregory with a less-than-polite comment. “Keep f*****g that chicken!” Anastos exclaimed, drawing an immediate and uncharacteristically shocked reaction from Dari Alexander, the co-anchor. Even as Gregory tried to brush off the moment by giving a lopsided grin, it was Anastos’s subsequent apology that captured much of the public’s attention.
“Forgetting the language barrier,” Anastos later admitted, “I thought I was being witty and funny, but apparently not.” His comment underscored the gravity of such missteps in live broadcasting. It became a viral meme, cementing his place as a figure whose humor could sometimes veer into the absurdly inappropriate.
Anastos’s career spanned decades, from his early days at WABC in 1978 to his final years with WNYM through 2019. Throughout this journey, he amassed over thirty local Emmy awards and nominations for his work ethic and storytelling skills. Anastos was a television institution known for his warm rapport with viewers and the craft of journalism.
His wife confirmed that he passed away due to complications from pneumonia at the age of eighty-two. For those who knew him well in New York’s broadcast landscape, it marked the end of an era—a man whose humor often came with a side order of bluntness but also brought warmth to nightly news programs for decades.