Early life and education
Kiernan was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He studied business at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and began his broadcasting career in 1988 at Edmonton radio station CKRA-FM while still a student.1
Career
NY1 News
After his radio start, Kiernan transitioned to television news in Edmonton, first at CFRN News and then at CITV, where he produced the weekday primetime newscast. In 1996 he moved to New York City to join Time Warner's all-news cable channel NY1, where he became the weekday morning anchor in 1997.1 He has held the 5 AM to 10 AM slot continuously in the years since, making him one of the longest-tenured local morning anchors in New York television history.1
Kiernan is closely identified with "In the Papers," a daily segment in which he summarizes the front pages of the city's major newspapers with dry, deadpan commentary. The feature became a fixture of the New York morning routine. On September 11, 2001, Kiernan anchored NY1 nearly continuously for approximately 15 hours as the attacks and their aftermath unfolded.1
Other broadcasting and hosting
From 2000 to 2004, Kiernan co-anchored CNNfn's The Money Gang alongside Christine Romans, Amanda Lang, and Ali Velshi.1 He subsequently hosted several game shows and competition programs: Studio 7 (2004), The World Series of Pop Culture (2006-2007), Grand Slam (2007), and Crowd Rules (2013).1 In 2014-2015 he hosted an evening news and talk program on WABC radio in New York.1 Since 2015 he has also appeared on Bloomberg TV Canada as host of Bloomberg North.1
In 2026, Spectrum News NY1 launched Morning People, a daily program and podcast co-hosted by Kiernan and Jamie Stelter, available across television, streaming, and audio platforms.3 He also hosts Crosstown with Pat Kiernan, an NY1 show focused on the five boroughs.4
Film and television appearances
Beyond his journalism work, Kiernan has built an exceptionally long list of scripted screen cameos, almost always playing a television news anchor reporting on extraordinary events in New York City. His deepest run is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: he appears in The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Doctor Strange (2016), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).2 He also appeared in the same capacity across several Marvel Netflix series, including Daredevil, The Defenders, The Punisher, and Hawkeye.2 Outside the MCU, he played a news anchor in the Sony film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).2 Additional television credits include an appearance in 30 Rock.2
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
In Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), directed by Paul Feig, Kiernan played NY1 News Anchor #1. His character anchors the news segment in which the team is referred to on air as "Ghostbusters," a name they then formally adopt.
The scene was filmed in two stages in Boston. Early in production, Kiernan traveled there for a day and shot a version of the scene with Andy Garcia. Roughly a month later, he received an urgent call to return, this time to film opposite Bill Murray. The two worked on a converted warehouse stage. Paul Feig provided a few scripted lines but encouraged both actors to ad-lib and build on the scene. Murray leaned into the role of the impossible interview subject, enjoying leaving Kiernan's straight-man anchor to squirm through the segment. The pair filmed together for approximately 40 minutes.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Kiernan reprised his anchor role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), again as a News Anchor covering the supernatural events unfolding in New York City. A promotional clip shown during an Ernie Hudson appearance on NY1 News prior to the film's release featured Kiernan reporting on public backlash against the Ghostbusters.
Personal life
Kiernan married Dawn Lerohl on June 4, 1994. The couple has two daughters, Lucy and Maeve. He holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship. In 2012 the family relocated from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Williamsburg, Brooklyn.1
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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"Pat Kiernan," Wikipedia, accessed June 13, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Kiernan
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"Pat Kiernan," IMDb, accessed June 13, 2026, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0452592/
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Charter Communications, "Spectrum News NY1 Debuts Daily Program 'Morning People,' Hosted by Pat Kiernan and Jamie Stelter" (March 2, 2026), https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/spectrum-news-ny1-debuts-daily-program-morning-people
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"Crosstown with Pat Kiernan," Spectrum News NY1, accessed June 13, 2026, https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/crosstown-with-pat-kiernan
