Tina Fey is no stranger to news and media connected with Rockefeller Center, whether playing writer Liz Lemon on "30 Rock" or co-hosting "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live," where she also worked as the popular late night show's head writer.
It turns out, Fey is a fan of the news in real life too, and in particular, "Weekend Today in New York," with Pat Battle, Gus Rosendale and Raphael Miranda.
" frameborder="0">In "> the latest episode of "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," the podcast from her longtime "Weekend Update" co-host, Fey speaks her fondness for local news and especially, Pat Battle.
Here's a look at the conversation:
TINA: "The only other television that truly brings me joy is my weekend local news in the morning."
AMY: "Wow."
TINA: "I love, and by the way, they know this and they're probably like stop talking about us..."
AMY: "Who are your anchors?"
TINA: "I love NBC4, Pat Battle, Gus Rosendale. It is, I find to be the most truly informative nice program on the whole week. Here's what you get Amy. You get your news, you get your national news briefly, you get your local news -- mostly local -- then you get Produce Pete..."
AMY: "Oh, I love Produce Pete."
TINA: "...nice old Italian man, comes out, tells you what's in season, what to make with it, incredible. Then, it used to be more frequently before the pandemic, before the pandemic he used to be in person, Bill's Books. Nice gentleman named Bill, comes and tells you what he read, what he liked about it, what he recommends you read. Before the pandemic, they also then used to be like here are some animals that are up for adoption, I feel like that's gone away. But that's it. And then the weather and traffic, and Pat Battle and Gus. I believe they're friends, they have a wonderful rapport."
AMY: "You don't know what their deal is?"
TINA: "I mean I don't think they're more than friends if that's what you're implying."
AMY: "I would never."
TINA: "But I feel like they like being co-workers."
AMY: "What a great name too, Pat Battle."
TINA: "Pat Battle, have I, listen one time, it was like a hurricane or something, a blizzard. Pat Battle went out in the street in her hometown. She went out where she lives in New Jersey and she was helping people push their cars."
AMY: "That's cool."
TINA: "That is what America should be, okay? It's Pat, it's Gus, it's Produce Pete, it's Bill's Books. We help our neighbors, that's the America I want to live in."
AMY: "If you've got Battle in the last name you got push somebody's car."
TINA: "Listen, have I invited Pat Battle to events? 100%, like too many times. Does she show up? Yes, we have a good time, great"
AMY: "So you've met Pat Battle? What was that like? Did sparks fly?"
TINA: "I mean, she thought it was pretty funny that I keep bothering her, that I'm obsessed with her. But Pat Battle is in an episode of 30 Rock."
AMY: "Oh really? As herself?"
TINA: "Yeah, we did one episode where Liz Lemon gets invited to a women in media luncheon and then of course, the gag, is they have a big screen and they can't figure out to get it to work. And all the women are like "turn it on and off again." It was like Pat Battle, Gayle King and couple other news ladies."
