Kathy McGee to be Honored with the WGA East’s Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards
NEW YORK, NY (December 5, 2024) – The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) is proud to announce that it will present Kathy McGee with the Richard B. Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild at the 77th Annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony at New York’s Edison Ballroom on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
Established in 1978 to recognize devoted service to the Guild, the Jablow Award was created in honor of Richard B. Jablow, who helped found the WGAE, authored its constitution, and served as its first counsel.
A Writers Guild of America East member since 1997, Kathy McGee is an Emmy Award-winning news writer/producer at WCBS-TV and has been active in the WGAE for more than 20 years. She writes for the 5pm, 6pm, 8pm and 11pm weekday newscasts. Kathy is a journalist with a passion for stories about theater and cultural arts. Kathy covers Broadway and has co-produced the “At The Tonys” special that airs in June on CBS stations across the country. She has served as shop leader at WCBS-TV since 2006 and is a member of the bargaining committee for CBS contracts.
Kathy served as the Guild’s Vice President from 2019 to 2021 and Vice President of the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector between 2022 to 2024. She also served as a Council member from 2014 to 2019.
In addition, Kathy is a member of the Guild’s Committee for Inclusion and Equity, the WGAE Activities Committee, the WGAE Black Writers Salon and is a longtime member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
In a statement, Kathy McGee said, “I am filled with gratitude and joy and thank the committee for this honor. I began my broadcast news career nearly 40 years ago and am proud to have spent the last two decades in solidarity with members of the WGA East advocating for journalists and storytellers while encouraging the next generation of union leaders.”
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the Writers Guild of America East, said, “I can think of no one more deserving of the Jablow Award than my friend and colleague Kathy McGee. Over the many, crisis-filled years we worked side by side, Kathy never failed to lead with calm, compassion and curiosity. She fought and advocated for broadcast news members, serving on the CBS bargaining committee since 2006, while putting in the work to understand and boost the union’s other work sectors. Kathy’s shoes cannot be filled, but she leaves a legacy of leadership we can and will emulate.”
The honorary award will be presented to McGee by previous Jablow honoree Penelope Koechl.
Last year, the Jablow Award was bestowed upon the members and leadership of I.A.T.S.E., Teamsters, SAG-AFTRA and AFM for demonstrating unwavering support and sacrifice during the WGA’s 148-day strike. Past honorees include Claire Labine, Herb Sargent, Ernest Kinoy, Stephen Schiff, James Schamus, Warren Leight, Chris Albers, Courtney Simon and Tom Fontana.
For more information about the 2025 Writers Guild Awards submission process, guidelines and official entry forms, please visit www.wgaeast.org or www.wga.org.
For media inquiries about the 2025 WGA New York show, please contact Jason Gordon in the WGAE Communications Department at (212) 767-7809 or email: jgordon@wgaeast.org.
For media inquiries about the 2025 WGA Los Angeles show, please contact Bob Hopkinson in the WGAW Communications Department at: (310) 801-8563 or email: bhopkinson@wga.org.
The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) are labor unions of writers in motion pictures, television, news, podcasts and online media. The Guilds negotiate and administer contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of their members; conduct programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to writers; and present writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America East, visit wgaeast.org. For more information on the Writers Guild of America West, visit wga.org.
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