Marciarose Shestack made her mark as a TV pioneer in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Marciarose Shestack made history right here at CBS Philadelphia, blazing a trail for us all as a pioneer on the air.
"I grew up thinking that I wanted to be an actress, and then at a given point, I have this wonderful revelation that let me know I would be terrible," Shestack said.
If not for that epiphany, Shestack may never have risen to become the legend of television news she is.
She was part of a college talk show program and working on a PhD when in 1957, KYW in Philadelphia came calling.
Marciarose was making a name for herself with commercials, and then documentaries but always pushing to do more.
Janelle Burrell: When they told you no, at first, what did you think?
Marciarose Shestack: I was really crushed, really disappointed. I went to our general manager and I said, 'Please sir, I'd like to do the news.' And he shook his head and he said, very firmly, 'A woman will do news over my dead body.' He said they're not authority figures, and they don't have good voices.'
Burrell: But you proved them wrong.
In 1965, Marciarose began co-anchoring the news at noon with Tom Snyder, and later, the evening news.
"I was the first woman in America to anchor a primetime newscast in a major market," Shestack said.
Janelle Burrell: As the first woman in your position, what challenges did you face in the newsroom?
Marciarose Shestack: An awful lot. I remember one day, there was some conversation, and the cameraman, you had cameramen in those days, said 'I wouldn't let my wife do that.' And I was taken aback, who is he to say what his wife could do? It was emblematic of what the attitude was towards women.
But she worked to 'earn' their respect.
"I must say, Janelle, I came to love Philadelphia," Shestack said. "I've seen the city change before my eyes."
Burrell: What do you think when you see the news today and you see how it's changed, and it's evolved?
Shestack: First of all, I see hundreds of women, and that's wonderful. I watched the other morning, and I watched CBS Morning with you on it -- and there were five women sitting around the table.Burrell: You couldnt have imagined it decades ago.
Shestack: Could never have imagined it.