You’re sitting there at 7:00 AM with a lukewarm coffee, staring at the screen, and suddenly a man is dressed as a giant cannoli while discussing the MTA. That’s the magic. Most people who grew up in the tri-state area don't just watch Good Day New York; they experience it as a sort of fever dream that somehow keeps them informed. It’s chaotic. It’s loud. It is unapologetically New York. While the polished, plastic smiles of national morning shows feel like they were focus-grouped in a basement in Iowa, WNYW’s flagship program feels like a diner conversation at 3:00 AM.
It works because it refuses to be polite.
The show has been a staple on FOX 5 since 1988, which is a lifetime in television years. Back then, morning TV was a different beast entirely. It was stiff. It was formal. Then came Good Day New York, crashing into living rooms with a frantic energy that mirrored the city itself. If you’ve ever wondered why your parents still refuse to flip the channel to Today or Good Morning America, it’s likely because those shows feel too sterile. They lack the grit. They lack the "did he really just say that?" factor that has defined the FOX 5 morning block for decades.
The Rosanna Scotto factor and why chemistry isn't something you can fake
Let’s be real: the show is Rosanna Scotto. She’s been there since 1986, eventually moving to the anchor desk of Good Day in 1994, and she has become the unofficial aunt of the entire five boroughs. You can’t talk about Good Day New York without acknowledging how she anchors the madness. She has this specific way of cutting through a guest’s nonsense that feels exactly like a Brooklyn mom calling you out for not wearing a coat.
It’s authentic. People smell fake from a mile away in this city.
The chemistry on that set has seen plenty of iterations. We had the legendary era of Rosanna and Greg Kelly, which was essentially a masterclass in "unfiltered television." They argued. They laughed until they couldn't breathe. They sometimes looked like they were genuinely annoyed with each other. That’s why we liked it. When Greg left and eventually returned, and then left again, the show had to find its footing, but the DNA remained the same. Currently, with Curt Menefee joining the fray, the dynamic has shifted again, bringing a more seasoned, sports-anchor stability to the desk, though the show still retains its "anything can happen" edge.
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Most morning shows are scripted to the second. They have teleprompters that everyone follows like the Bible. On Good Day, the prompter feels more like a suggestion. If a segment about a local bakery is supposed to take three minutes but the cookies are actually good, they’re going to talk about those cookies for six minutes. That’s the New York way. We care about the food. We care about the attitude.
Breaking down the segments that actually matter
If you are tuning in for a rigid delivery of international news, you are in the wrong place. Go watch the BBC. You come to Good Day New York to find out why the G train is delayed for the third time this week and to see a local celebrity get slightly roasted.
The "Lions, Tigers, and Laszlo" segments or the various "Street Talk" iterations have always focused on the hyper-local. They talk to the people in the bodegas. They talk to the guy fixing the potholes. It’s news from the ground up, not from the top down. This is why the show survives in an era where everyone gets their news from X or TikTok. You can’t get that specific vibe of a Queens street corner from an algorithm.
The competition and the 2026 landscape of morning TV
Honestly, the landscape is crowded. You’ve got the heavy hitters at Rockefeller Center and Times Square. But those shows are for the tourists. They are for the people standing outside behind a barricade holding a sign that says "Hi Mom from Nebraska." Good Day New York is for the person who has to shove their way onto the 4 train.
In the last couple of years, we've seen a massive shift in how local news operates. Budget cuts have gutted newsrooms across the country. Yet, WNYW seems to double down on the personality-driven format. Why? Because in 2026, information is a commodity. You can get the weather anywhere. You can get the headlines from a smart watch. What you can’t get is the feeling of belonging to a community that is equally frustrated and obsessed with New York City.
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Why the "chaos" is a strategic choice
Some critics call the show "unprofessional." They’re missing the point. The "unprofessionalism"—the cross-talk, the laughing over segments, the occasional technical glitch that becomes a ten-minute joke—is the brand. It’s what keeps the show in the Google Discover feed. It’s what makes a clip go viral. When a host accidentally says something slightly inappropriate at 8:15 AM, it isn't a mistake; it's a water-cooler moment.
Think about the "cooking" segments. On other shows, the chef brings a pre-made dish and the anchors take a polite bite. On Good Day, they are usually trying to steal the food before it’s done, or asking the chef why the sauce looks a little thin. It’s honest. If the food is bad, Rosanna’s face will tell you. You don't get that kind of transparency on network TV.
Dealing with the critics and the "New York" attitude
There is a certain segment of the population that finds the show too loud. "It’s too much for the morning," they say. They probably prefer a quiet room and a glass of warm lemon water. But for the rest of us, the noise is necessary. New York is loud. Why should our morning news be quiet?
The show has faced its share of controversies over the years, from anchor shake-ups to segments that pushed the envelope a bit too far. There was the whole "Greg Kelly departure" saga that felt like a local soap opera. There was the constant revolving door of weather personalities. But through every change, the viewership remains loyal. This loyalty comes from the fact that the show doesn't pretend to be something it’s not. It isn't trying to be "The New York Times" of morning TV. It’s the "Daily News." It’s the "Post." It’s the tabloid you can’t stop reading.
The technical side of the broadcast
Technically speaking, the move to high-definition and the revamped studios at East 67th Street have changed the look, but not the feel. The cameras are better, the graphics are slicker, but the anchors still look like they just navigated the same traffic you did. That relatability is the "secret sauce." When Mike Woods talks about a heatwave, you believe him because he looks like he’s actually felt the humidity.
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Actionable insights for the casual viewer
If you’re new to the city or just finally ditching the national broadcasts, here is how you actually watch Good Day New York without getting overwhelmed by the energy:
- Don't take the banter too seriously. Half the time they are ribbing each other, it’s because they’ve been in the building since 4:00 AM. Sleep deprivation makes for great television.
- Watch the 8:00 AM hour for the best guests. This is usually when they transition from "hard" news to the entertainment and lifestyle stuff that actually makes the show famous.
- Follow the social feeds. FOX 5 is surprisingly good at clipping the moments that happen off-script. If you missed the live broadcast, the best bits are almost always on their Instagram or X within an hour.
- Pay attention to the local business spotlights. Unlike national shows that feature giant corporations, Good Day often features that random pizza shop in the Bronx or a new boutique in Brooklyn. It’s actually a great way to find new spots in the city.
The reality is that morning television is changing. Streaming is eating everyone's lunch. But local morning news—specifically the kind practiced by the crew at Good Day New York—has a stickiness that’s hard to replicate. You can’t stream "local vibe." You have to live it. You have to broadcast it live, flaws and all, every single morning.
So, next time you’re flipping through the channels and you see someone arguing about the best way to fold a slice of pizza while a weather map looms in the background, don't change the channel. You’re watching a New York institution. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s exactly what the morning calls for.
To get the most out of your morning routine, start by tuning in during the 7:00 AM block for essential traffic and weather, but stick around for the 9:00 AM hour if you want the "Good Day Chat" where the real, unscripted opinions come out. If you’re a business owner, look into their "Small Business Friday" segments; they are one of the few major outlets still giving airtime to local entrepreneurs without requiring a massive PR firm to get through the door. Check the FOX 5 NY website for the daily guest list so you can time your viewing around the segments that actually interest you.