Lewis Dodley made his debut as the evening anchor at 6 p.m. on Sept. 8, 1992 — NY1’s very first day.

He then quickly became the face of a brazen experiment in broadcast journalism: Could a scrappy start-up cable news channel compete with local networks in the nation’s largest TV market?

“When I was offered this job in 1992, I saw it as the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’ve tried to treat it that way,” Dodley said.

What You Need To Know

  • Lewis Dodley made his debut as the evening anchor when the station launched on Sept. 8, 1992

  • He entered the news business at the age of 17 at WCOL Radio in Columbus, Ohio
  • Lewis also speaks Chinese and Korean
  • In 2010, Lewis reported from the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, giving New Yorkers an exclusive look inside the area between the countries

The New York Times branded NY1, “The little channel that could,” and Lewis became the engine. Night after night, year in and year out, his shift was a grind.

Lewis would start taping in the early afternoon and would go until almost midnight, sometimes even later, if there was breaking news overnight. His velvety baritone voice has informed millions of New Yorkers into the wee hours of the morning.

Before he helped launch NY1, Lewis was a familiar face on PBS as host of “The Bulldog Report.” He kicked off his broadcasting career as a teenager and cut his teeth as a cub reporter in his native Ohio.

But his crowning achievements happened in NY1’s anchor chair. From the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 to its horrific destruction on 9/11, Lewis was there with his calm, steady presence in the midst of a storm.

When the city rolled out the red carpet for the Pope, Lewis led NY1’s coverage. He reported from Vatican City in 2001 as Father Edward Egan was appointed a cardinal for New York City.

Lewis was also front and center for major sporting events, including multiple Yankees World Series victories and when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. Through New York’s highs and lows, Lewis was there.

Behind the scenes, Lewis is known for his sharp wit and a contagious belly laugh that kept his colleagues in stitches, even during the most stressful times in a busy newsroom.

Off camera and during his downtime, Lewis learned new languages. He first learned Chinese, then Korean — immersing himself in Asian culture and sharing his passion with viewers.

In 2010, Lewis reported from the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, giving New Yorkers an exclusive look inside the area between the countries.

From the DMZ to NYC, Lewis did it by the book: accurate and unbiased reporting for 32 straight years. True to form, Lewis once did the math, taking out vacations and holidays, to figure out he was on the air for about 72,450 hours in total. And that’s a lowball estimate, but he set the bar high.

NY1’s resident Ohio State fan will undoubtedly spend his retirement glued to the tube during college football season while working on other projects. And for NY1, the evening news will never be the same without THE Lewis Dodley.