Cathy Pircsuk is Vice President and General Manager of the local CBS and FOX affiliates in Watertown, New York where she has worked for 36 years.  She has held positions as:  reporter, anchor, assignment editor, news director, station manager and most recently general manager for the past 18 years.

Prior to her WWNY-TV tenure, Cathy worked as a producer for KBIA-FM radio in Columbia, Missouri where she researched and hosted classical music and jazz programs.

As a graduate of the University of Missouri in 1977, Cathy accepted a position as the first woman disc jockey for KWOS-AM radio in Columbia Missouri. She started preparing and reading news for the station on her days off. In 1978, a manager for UPI NEWSTIME in Atlanta, Georgia heard her newscast while driving through Missouri and offered her a job.

Cathy accepted the job and worked as a producer/anchor for one of the first satellite delivered news services in the nation. Meanwhile a few miles away from her Atlanta office, Ted Turner launched a new 24 hour news station called CNN. UPI NEWSTIME folded later that year (1979) and Cathy accepted a reporter’s position at WWNY-TV and came back to work in the market where she grew up.

Cathy started her career with a manual typewriter gathering news on film and splicing it with a razorblade. Little did she know she would see WWNY through the technological changes of a lifetime including the transition from film to tape to a digital environment.  Years later she guided the station through the transition from standard definition television to HDTV.  She was instrumental in the acquisition of a FOX affiliate and the integration of the second station into the Watertown operation.

Cathy has served on several professional boards including the New York State Broadcasters Association (secretary), New York State Associated Press (president) and the Radio/TV News Directors Association.

She is active in the local community having served on the boards of: Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, Northern New York Community Foundation (president) , United Way of Northern New York (campaign chair), Thousand Islands Performing Arts Council (secretary), North Country Family Health Center, Excellus Blue Cross-Blue Shield Advisory Committee, Black River Chapter of the American Red Cross, Hospice of Jefferson County and North Country Public Radio.

Cathy received the Athena Award from the Greater Watertown Chamber of Commerce: a leadership award for professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.  She was also awarded the Jefferson County Council of Social Agencies media award as well as multiple awards for excellence in reporting.

She resides in Watertown with her husband James Burr and enjoys traveling, kayaking, hiking and gardening. She plans to retire June 30^th.