CBS News Radio Washington anchor and reporter Tom Foty has passed away at the age of 77. Known for his abilities on and off the microphone, Foty’s resume and legacy boast a string of significant accomplishments and global events covered.
Born in Budapest, Foty’s early life was marked by his family’s displacement following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, leading them to seek refuge in the United States. Raised in New York City, Foty pursued his passion for news at the City College of New York, where he served as News Director and General Manager of the college radio station. Foty’s early career also included roles at WINS, WOR, and as a stringer for NPR, before his significant contributions at UPI, where he rose to Radio Network Executive Editor.
His contributions during that time also included roles at NBC News, Westwood One, and Unistar Radio Networks. Foty also spent time at Hubbard Broadcasting’s WTOP from 1997 to 2005, where he worked as a radio reporter and editor and contributed to the early development of wtop.com.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein said, “Tom was the first person who trained me when I came to WTOP in 1997. Like Tom, I’d come from UPI. He’s remained the self-appointed historian of UPI. Old-school journalism ethics, great stories, everyday dependable. And he knew how the equipment worked. He really was the ultimate ‘radio guy.’”
ABC Audio’s Steven Portnoy posted on X, “He was a dear and gentle man who devoted his life to our craft. A refugee of the Hungarian Uprising, Tom was a dependable colleague, proud of his long association with UPI and his embrace of new technologies.”
Keith Olbermann also posted, “The number of people in news whose life he touched must be in the thousands. Supportive, realistic, a friend. Awful shock.”
Foty’s last appearance on the air was on December 21.
