A federal judge yesterday ordered a woman who once worked for KDKA-TV to return to the station the salary information she took without permission, as well as any other ill-gotten materials she collected.

CBS, KDKA's parent company, filed a lawsuit against Carey Robinson, a former administrative assistant, in November. She was fired Oct. 26.

According to the lawsuit, Ms. Robinson, of Wilkinsburg, stole proprietary salary information and also recorded phone conversations without permission and read privileged e-mails while she worked for the station.

CBS asked U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone for a preliminary injunction that would prevent Ms. Robinson, who was hired in January 2002, to share any of the information she had collected.

The broadcast company suggested that it could be placed at a competitive disadvantage if salary amounts were disclosed to other area television stations, and the judge agreed.

He also said in a four-page order that Ms. Robinson intentionally intercepted oral and written communications, in violation of both state and federal law.

Ms. Robinson has claimed that the station discriminated against her because she is black, and that her employers retaliated against her after she filed a claim last year with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

She has admitted to removing a salary spreadsheet containing the names, titles and wages for 79 non-union employees from her boss's desk and making copies of it.

Judge Cercone gave Ms. Robinson five days to turn over all documents and other materials -- as well as any copies -- she obtained during her employment at KDKA to the station's attorneys.