Janet Peckinpaugh
Encyclopedia
Janet Peckinpaugh is an American television anchor, reporter, business owner, and two-time political candidate in Connecticut
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as a co-anchor. Three months later the other stations in the market also had female co-anchors and all the on-air people had contracts. Peckinpaugh's agent Ken Lindner landed a job for her at WTNH
in 1984. News of her arrival made it to the front page of The Hartford Courant, and she quickly became a popular figure in Connecticut and in television. In 1987, Peckinpaugh moved to Channel 3 WFSB
, based in Hartford
. She was a successful evening news anchor with a six figure salary. In 1995, Peckinpaugh's contract was breached when she was taken off the 6pm news. She left at the end of her contract and filed a discrimination lawsuit for breach of contract, oral and written, sex discrimination (her news director said two women could not anchor together when he took her off the 5:30 news with Gayle King in 1995 and replaced her with a much younger man) and age discrimination. Peckinpaugh won the multi million dollar lawsuit against the Washington Post Company on all counts except age discrimination. Peckinpaugh worked as an anchor for WVIT
from 1995 until her retirement in December, 2006. Peckinpaugh is still regarded as a popular figure and is said to have been one of the most well-known TV anchors in Connecticut, with name recognition somewhere between 80 and 90 percent in Connecticut. During her career, she interviewed four U.S. presidents.
Joe Courtney
. She continued to travel the district and meet voters and raised a quarter of a million dollars in six months but it was not enough to wage battle with the incumbent who had $1.4M to spend against her. The two frequently debated and sparred, and both had support from different groups. However, given the strong Democratic tendencies of the state's 2nd district, Peckinpaugh picked up 40% of the vote on November 2. In January 2011, she declared her candidacy for the Connecticut House of Representatives
to fill a vacancy in a February special election. The seat she ran for had been vacated by Democrat Jamie Spallone. She ran a very strong campaign against Essex four term, first selectman Phil Miller, and lost by 191 votes.
, the CT Women's Hall of Fame and the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford. She has been a corporator for Children's Hospital and was a fellow for Calhoun College at Yale University.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Personal life
Peckinpaugh was born in Muncie, Indiana and grew up in Canton, Ohio. Her father was a small business owner. She had a brief marriage during college that ended in divorce. Janet married Elliot Gerson in 1987 and their son, Alex was born in 1988. That marriage ended in divorce in 1993.Television career
After college Peckinpaugh worked briefly for National Airlines. She moved to Washington, D.C. and was a staffer for Senator Richard Stone (D) FL before starting her television career. In 1978 she moved to Richmond, VA and started her career at WWBT-TV as a weather anchor and news reporter. In 1981, she crossed the street to work at WXEXWRIC-TV
WRIC-TV, virtual channel 8 , is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Richmond, Virginia market. It is owned by Young Broadcasting. The station is licensed to nearby Petersburg, while its studios are just off the Powhite Parkway extension in the Arboretum office park in western...
as a co-anchor. Three months later the other stations in the market also had female co-anchors and all the on-air people had contracts. Peckinpaugh's agent Ken Lindner landed a job for her at WTNH
WTNH
WTNH is the ABC-affiliated television station for the state of Connecticut that is licensed to New Haven. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter in Hamden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate WCTX and the two...
in 1984. News of her arrival made it to the front page of The Hartford Courant, and she quickly became a popular figure in Connecticut and in television. In 1987, Peckinpaugh moved to Channel 3 WFSB
WFSB
'WFSB, channel 3, is a CBS-affiliated television station located in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, owned by the Meredith Corporation. WFSB's studios and offices are located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and its broadcast transmitter is based on Talcott Mountain in Avon, Connecticut. Syndicated...
, based in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. She was a successful evening news anchor with a six figure salary. In 1995, Peckinpaugh's contract was breached when she was taken off the 6pm news. She left at the end of her contract and filed a discrimination lawsuit for breach of contract, oral and written, sex discrimination (her news director said two women could not anchor together when he took her off the 5:30 news with Gayle King in 1995 and replaced her with a much younger man) and age discrimination. Peckinpaugh won the multi million dollar lawsuit against the Washington Post Company on all counts except age discrimination. Peckinpaugh worked as an anchor for WVIT
WVIT
WVIT, virtual channel 30, is the NBC owned and operated television station for the state of Connecticut, licensed to New Britain. WVIT has its offices and studios located in West Hartford, and transmitter based in Farmington, Connecticut....
from 1995 until her retirement in December, 2006. Peckinpaugh is still regarded as a popular figure and is said to have been one of the most well-known TV anchors in Connecticut, with name recognition somewhere between 80 and 90 percent in Connecticut. During her career, she interviewed four U.S. presidents.
Post-television career
After leaving NBC, Peckinpaugh started a media marketing business in Essex, CT. The business, Peckinpaugh Media Group, was designed to advise, guide, and create media productions, such as commercials, for various businesses.Political career
In the early months of 2010, Peckinpaugh took an interest in politics when her good friend, Lisa Wilson-Foley decided to run for Lieutenant Governor. Peckinpaugh was her campaign manager through the Republican Convention. She entered the political arena herself as a candidate for Congress from the 2nd district just a few weeks before the Convention but picked up enough votes to wage a primary. Peckinpaugh is a fiscal conservative and social moderate. Until the August primary, Peckinpaugh focused on meeting voters, raising money, and visiting all of the towns in the district. She quickly became a popular Republican candidate. On August 10, she defeated Daria Novak and Doug Dubitsky to become the Republican nominee. She was the only political candidate in Connecticut to beat the party-endorsed candidate. Following the primary, she went on to challenge the two-term incumbent, DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Joe Courtney
Joe Courtney (politician)
Joseph Courtney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Courtney grew up in suburban Hartford and became a 1975 graduate of Tufts University...
. She continued to travel the district and meet voters and raised a quarter of a million dollars in six months but it was not enough to wage battle with the incumbent who had $1.4M to spend against her. The two frequently debated and sparred, and both had support from different groups. However, given the strong Democratic tendencies of the state's 2nd district, Peckinpaugh picked up 40% of the vote on November 2. In January 2011, she declared her candidacy for the Connecticut House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
to fill a vacancy in a February special election. The seat she ran for had been vacated by Democrat Jamie Spallone. She ran a very strong campaign against Essex four term, first selectman Phil Miller, and lost by 191 votes.
Charitable work
Peckinpaugh has always been very active in charities in Connecticut. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut Girl ScoutsGirl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
, the CT Women's Hall of Fame and the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford. She has been a corporator for Children's Hospital and was a fellow for Calhoun College at Yale University.