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New York Morning Shows Go Audience-Free as Winter Storm Fern Disrupts City

A state emergency prompted studios to tape without crowds to prioritize safety.

Overview

  • Live with Kelly and Mark aired audience-free on Jan. 26, a first since COVID-era protocols, with Kelly Ripa noting only staff were present.
  • The View also taped to empty seats, and most New York City live programs either recorded without audiences or aired reruns.
  • Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Jan. 23 due to hazardous snow and ice from Winter Storm Fern.
  • Central Park recorded 11.4 inches of snow as reported on air, and an ABC7 live shot from Brooklyn showed snowbound streets and a man shoveling without gloves, prompting the show to send him a pair.
  • Despite the format shift, scheduled guests Jason Biggs and Leslie Iwerks appeared, and Ripa shared video of heavy snowfall at her New York home on Instagram.