Pat Kiernan

Biography:

Patrick Kiernan (born November 20, 1968) is a Canadian-American television personality best known as the morning news anchor for NY1, a position he has held since 1997. He is particularly recognized in New York City for his signature segment “In the Papers,” where he humorously summarizes the day’s newspapers. In addition to anchoring, Kiernan has hosted game shows and made appearances in films and television, either as himself or portraying a reporter.

Kiernan began his career in 1988 at CKRA-FM in Edmonton while studying business at the University of Alberta. He transitioned from radio to television at Edmonton’s CFRN News, and in 1993, moved to CITV to produce the weekday primetime newscast. In 1996, he relocated to New York City to join Time Warner and soon became the morning anchor for NY1, typically on air from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. He was broadcasting during the September 11 attacks, remaining on air for nearly 15 hours. Kiernan also serves as a correspondent for Canada’s Business News Network and co-anchored CNNfn’s The Money Gang from 2000 to 2004 alongside Christine Romans, Amanda Lang, and Ali Velshi. In 2008, he launched Pat’s Papers, a website curating his favorite newspaper stories from across the U.S.

In January 2011, Kiernan became a “Special Host” for TrivWorks, participating in select corporate team-building events. Three years later, in 2014, he joined WABC (AM) Radio to host a 5 p.m. weeknight show recapping New York City news, leaving the station in early 2015. That same year, he began hosting Bloomberg TV Canada’s Bloomberg North, a Thursday night program reviewing global business events from a Canadian perspective.

Kiernan’s early morning commute inspired his first children’s book, Good Morning, City, published in 2016, which received praise from Publishers Weekly for its insight into a city awakening. He has appeared in cameo roles as himself or a reporter in films such as The Interpreter (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), True North (2006), The Son of No One (2011), Iron Man 3 (2013), and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). His work has been featured in publications including New York Magazine, New York Post, and The New Yorker.

On March 7, 2012, Kiernan guest co-hosted Live! with Kelly alongside Kelly Ripa, following a previous interview in New York Magazine where he expressed interest in the role due to his combination of New York City knowledge and pop culture enthusiasm. In 2013, Report on Business in Canada listed him among “16 Canadians We Want Back.”

Kiernan has hosted several game shows produced by Michael Davies, including Studio 7 (WB, 2004), two seasons of The World Series of Pop Culture (VH1, 2006–2007), and served as the off-screen “questioner” for GSN’s U.S. version of Grand Slam (2007). In May 2013, he co-hosted CNBC’s small business competition series Crowd Rules, though six of the eight episodes produced have yet to air due to low ratings.

Kiernan married Dawn Lerohl on June 4, 1994. They moved to Manhattan in 1996 and hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada. After living on the Upper West Side, they purchased a $2 million townhouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in April 2012. The couple has two daughters, Lucy (born October 27, 2001) and Maeve (born July 12, 2004).