Photo Flash: Katharine McPhee, Juju Chang and More Attend WNET Gala

WNET, parent company of New York's PBS stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, celebrated its 25th Gala Salute, which took place Monday, June 11 at The Plaza in New York City. WNET honored Paula Zahn, journalist, co-host of NYC-ARTS and WNET Trustee; Abigail E. Disney, filmmaker, philanthropist, activist; and Jo Ann C. Jenkins, CEO of AARP, recognizing them for their outstanding work in the arts, media, and philanthropy as it relates to WNET. The night also featured a special performance by Broadway star Katharine McPhee, with ABC News television journalist and NIGHTLINE anchor Juju Chang serving as the evening's Masters of Ceremonies.

"The 25th Gala salute offered a great opportunity for us to extend our thanks to our many supporters across the tri-state area and beyond," said Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET. "We can never forget how privileged we are to serve our community with high-quality content, from trusted news and public affairs to great Science and history documentaries, to unforgettable arts experiences. And none of it would be possible without our dedicated viewers and supporters."

Nightline's Juju Chang kicked the evening off as the night's MC, addressing the crowd about the importance of public television. She let the crowd know that right after the gala she was going back to work to cover news of Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un. After introducing her husband, Neal Shapiro(President and CEO of WNET), she joked saying "make sure you get our son home safe and be sure to walk out the dog, as I have more work to do."

Later in the evening Actress Katharine McPhee, fresh off the stage from her appearance at the Tony Awards, performed a medley of jazz standards from "Blame It On My Youth" by Nat King Cole to "You Make Me Feel So Young" and "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra that will be featured in an upcoming PBS Soundstage concert special. During her performance she gave fans of her now canceled show SMASH a treat, as she performed "That's Life" from the show cheekily changing the lyrics to reference the show's short run, singing, "running high in April but Smash gets cancelled in May."

Photos courtesy of WNET