Richard Leibner, a pioneering talent agent who represented such notable broadcast news journalists as Dan Rather, Diane Sawyer, Mike Wallace, Andy Rooney, Norah O’Donnell, Ed Bradley, Morley Safer and Fareed Zakaria, died today at his home in New York City. He was 85.
His death was announced by UTA vice chairman Jay Sures in a memo to staffers obtained by Deadline.
Leibner began his agency career in the 1960s as co-founder, with Nate Bienstock, of the New York-based firm N.S. Bienstock, which was acquired by UTA in 2014. Leibner retired in 2021.
“Richard will be remembered as the agent who transformed the news business,” Sures wrote in the memo. “Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars. Over the years, he signed and represented some of the best and brightest and most iconic names including Dan Rather,...
His death was announced by UTA vice chairman Jay Sures in a memo to staffers obtained by Deadline.
Leibner began his agency career in the 1960s as co-founder, with Nate Bienstock, of the New York-based firm N.S. Bienstock, which was acquired by UTA in 2014. Leibner retired in 2021.
“Richard will be remembered as the agent who transformed the news business,” Sures wrote in the memo. “Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars. Over the years, he signed and represented some of the best and brightest and most iconic names including Dan Rather,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Richard Leibner, the prominent talent agent who transformed the TV news business by guiding the careers of such renowned broadcast journalists as Dan Rather, Diane Sawyer, Mike Wallace, Andy Rooney and Norah O’Donnell, has died. He was 85.
Leibner died Tuesday at his home in New York, UTA vice chairman Jay Sures announced. The agent started out in the 1960s at New York-based N.S. Bienstock, which was acquired in 2014 by UTA.
Leibner also signed and represented the likes of Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, Bob Simon, Steve Kroft, Bill Whitaker, Chuck Scarborough, Paula Zahn, Brian Stelter, Daniel Schorr and Fareed Zakaria before he retired in December 2021 after 58 years in the business.
“Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars,” Sures told staffers in a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in Brooklyn,...
Leibner died Tuesday at his home in New York, UTA vice chairman Jay Sures announced. The agent started out in the 1960s at New York-based N.S. Bienstock, which was acquired in 2014 by UTA.
Leibner also signed and represented the likes of Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, Bob Simon, Steve Kroft, Bill Whitaker, Chuck Scarborough, Paula Zahn, Brian Stelter, Daniel Schorr and Fareed Zakaria before he retired in December 2021 after 58 years in the business.
“Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars,” Sures told staffers in a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in Brooklyn,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Richard Leibner, a celebrated talent agent who represented some of the best-known anchors in TV news, first at a firm he helped build and then for UTA, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 85 years old.
In his time, Leibner served as an agent and adviser to Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Morley Safer, Bob Simon, Steve Kroft, Bill Whitaker, Diane Sawyer, Chuck Scarborough, Paula Zahn, Brian Stelter and Fareed Zakaria, among others. He was a passionate advocate for clients, and was never been shy about delivering his opinion of the latest goings-on in the ever-churning news sector.
Leibner firmly believed that top news anchors should be treated akin to Hollywood royalty. “Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars,” said Jay Sures, UTA’s vice-chairman, in a memo to staffers Tuesday.
In his time, Leibner served as an agent and adviser to Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Morley Safer, Bob Simon, Steve Kroft, Bill Whitaker, Diane Sawyer, Chuck Scarborough, Paula Zahn, Brian Stelter and Fareed Zakaria, among others. He was a passionate advocate for clients, and was never been shy about delivering his opinion of the latest goings-on in the ever-churning news sector.
Leibner firmly believed that top news anchors should be treated akin to Hollywood royalty. “Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars,” said Jay Sures, UTA’s vice-chairman, in a memo to staffers Tuesday.
- 4/9/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
CBS News’ venerable “60 Minutes” is creating a time machine, of sorts.
The long-running newsmagazine will form the bulk of a new channel at Pluto TV, the ad-supported streaming outlet that is, like CBS News, part of Paramount Global. The streaming channel is expected to launch sometime this year, Bill Owens, executive producer of the show, told staffers Thursday.
“The channel will allow us to share our broadcast and historic archive with the wider world,” Owens told employees in a memo. Nicole Young, a longtime producer who works with “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley, will oversee the new venture, which will potentially let consumers sample decades of “60 Minutes” reports, whether they encompass a Mike Wallace investigation, an Ed Bradley interview with Bob Dylan, or Lesley Stahl’s various exchanges with former President Donald Trump.
New VIP+ Analysis: An Exclusive Data Dive into Fast Performance Metrics
The move shows “60 Minutes...
The long-running newsmagazine will form the bulk of a new channel at Pluto TV, the ad-supported streaming outlet that is, like CBS News, part of Paramount Global. The streaming channel is expected to launch sometime this year, Bill Owens, executive producer of the show, told staffers Thursday.
“The channel will allow us to share our broadcast and historic archive with the wider world,” Owens told employees in a memo. Nicole Young, a longtime producer who works with “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley, will oversee the new venture, which will potentially let consumers sample decades of “60 Minutes” reports, whether they encompass a Mike Wallace investigation, an Ed Bradley interview with Bob Dylan, or Lesley Stahl’s various exchanges with former President Donald Trump.
New VIP+ Analysis: An Exclusive Data Dive into Fast Performance Metrics
The move shows “60 Minutes...
- 6/2/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Many worthy people are still waiting and waiting for their induction into the Television Academy’s TV Hall of Fame. Each year a small committee makes the selection of just a few people to be inducted. You can visit their busts, statues and tributes at the plaza in North Hollywood, California. Our photo gallery above offers up 50 individuals who easily deserve to be included, so please take a look at these choices, esteemed committee members, and let’s induct even more this year. Also, because of the overwhelming volume of excellent choices, how about raising the induction number from five to eight per year?
Seetv Hall of Fame 2020: Red carpet interviews for inductions of Seth MacFarlane, Cicely Tyson, Bob Iger, Geraldine Laybourne, Jay Sandrich
The first induction was held in 1984 and it’s been an annual tradition almost every year. That class of legends consisted of actress/executive Lucille Ball,...
Seetv Hall of Fame 2020: Red carpet interviews for inductions of Seth MacFarlane, Cicely Tyson, Bob Iger, Geraldine Laybourne, Jay Sandrich
The first induction was held in 1984 and it’s been an annual tradition almost every year. That class of legends consisted of actress/executive Lucille Ball,...
- 4/7/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
David Letterman celebrates his 40th anniversary as a late night talk show host today. His first episode of “Late Night with David Letterman” aired on February 1, 1982, following “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” for the next decade (plus an 11th year after Jay Leno‘s show). Letterman returns to his former NBC home tonight to visit “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
He departed NBC in 1993 for a 22-year run as host of “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS. His combined 33+ years on both NBC and CBS make him the longest-running late night talk show host in American history.
That remarkable length of service and his influence on younger hosts like Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and others should make him a lock for induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. But they’ve never asked him to join. Several of his...
He departed NBC in 1993 for a 22-year run as host of “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS. His combined 33+ years on both NBC and CBS make him the longest-running late night talk show host in American history.
That remarkable length of service and his influence on younger hosts like Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and others should make him a lock for induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. But they’ve never asked him to join. Several of his...
- 2/1/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Richard Leibner, the long-serving agent who has backed some of the best-known news anchors in the U.S., is delivering some headlines of his own: He’s retiring after decades on the job.
The veteran talent representative intends to step away from his role as partner at United Talent Agency at the end of the year, according to a memo sent to staffers by Jay Sures, co-president of the agency. “Throughout his career, Richard has represented one major news figure after another, building them up, helping make them household names and playing an important role ensuring journalism always stood for something meaningful, ethical and about high quality,” Sures said.
His exit from UTA will mark the end of an era. Leibner is a clever and passionate advocate for clients, and has never been shy about delivering his opinion of the latest goings-on in the ever-churning news sector — as long as he isn’t being quoted.
The veteran talent representative intends to step away from his role as partner at United Talent Agency at the end of the year, according to a memo sent to staffers by Jay Sures, co-president of the agency. “Throughout his career, Richard has represented one major news figure after another, building them up, helping make them household names and playing an important role ensuring journalism always stood for something meaningful, ethical and about high quality,” Sures said.
His exit from UTA will mark the end of an era. Leibner is a clever and passionate advocate for clients, and has never been shy about delivering his opinion of the latest goings-on in the ever-churning news sector — as long as he isn’t being quoted.
- 12/14/2021
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Many worthy people are still waiting and waiting for their induction into the Television Academy’s TV Hall of Fame. Each year a small committee makes the selection of just a few people to be inducted. You can visit their busts, statues and tributes at the plaza in North Hollywood, California. Our photo gallery above offers up 50 individuals who easily deserve to be included, so please take a look at these choices, esteemed committee members, and let’s induct even more this year. Also, because of the overwhelming volume of excellent choices, how about raising the induction number from five to eight per year?
The first induction was held in 1984 and it’s been an annual tradition almost every year. That class of legends consisted of actress/executive Lucille Ball, actor/comedian Milton Berle, writer Paddy Chayefsky, writer/producer Norman Lear, journalist Edward R. Murrow, CBS founder William S. Paley,...
The first induction was held in 1984 and it’s been an annual tradition almost every year. That class of legends consisted of actress/executive Lucille Ball, actor/comedian Milton Berle, writer Paddy Chayefsky, writer/producer Norman Lear, journalist Edward R. Murrow, CBS founder William S. Paley,...
- 9/28/2021
- by Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Veteran news executive Bill Small, who served as the Washington bureau chief of CBS News and president of NBC News, died on Sunday following a brief illness unrelated to the coronavirus, CBS News announced. He was 93.
Small led CBS News’ political coverage from 1962-1974, covering such major events as Watergate, Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement. He pulled together a team of reporters from within CBS that included Dan Rather, Marvin Kalb, Dan Schorr, Harry Reasoner and Eric Sevareid, and made new hires including Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bernard Kalb and Bill Moyers.
He also, CBS noted, championed a number of women in his time as Washington bureau chief, hiring Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung, Lesley Stahl, Martha Teichner, Rita Braver and Susan Spencer.
“Bill Small was a hero to journalism,” CBS News president Susan Zirinsky said in a statement. “He hired me as a 20-year-old college student to...
Small led CBS News’ political coverage from 1962-1974, covering such major events as Watergate, Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement. He pulled together a team of reporters from within CBS that included Dan Rather, Marvin Kalb, Dan Schorr, Harry Reasoner and Eric Sevareid, and made new hires including Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bernard Kalb and Bill Moyers.
He also, CBS noted, championed a number of women in his time as Washington bureau chief, hiring Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung, Lesley Stahl, Martha Teichner, Rita Braver and Susan Spencer.
“Bill Small was a hero to journalism,” CBS News president Susan Zirinsky said in a statement. “He hired me as a 20-year-old college student to...
- 5/25/2020
- by Alex Stedman
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran news executive Bill Small passed away on Sunday after a brief illness unrelated to the coronavirus. The former CBS News Washington Bureau Chief, NBC News President, United Press International President and Chairman of the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, was 93.
Small served as CBS’ Washington Bureau Chief from 1962 to 1974 and formed a team of journalists that would go on to dominate political coverage throughout the era of the Vietnam War and Watergate. The roster he recruited from within CBS included Marvin Kalb, Dan Rather, Harry Reasoner, Dan Schorr and Eric Sevareid. New hires at the time, CBS said, included Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bernard Kalb and Bill Moyers. CBS also noted Small championed the hiring of women including Lesley Stahl, Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung, Susan Zirinsky, Martha Teichner, Rita Braver and Susan Spencer.
“Bill Small was a hero to journalism,” said CBS News president Zirinsky in a statement.
Small served as CBS’ Washington Bureau Chief from 1962 to 1974 and formed a team of journalists that would go on to dominate political coverage throughout the era of the Vietnam War and Watergate. The roster he recruited from within CBS included Marvin Kalb, Dan Rather, Harry Reasoner, Dan Schorr and Eric Sevareid. New hires at the time, CBS said, included Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bernard Kalb and Bill Moyers. CBS also noted Small championed the hiring of women including Lesley Stahl, Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung, Susan Zirinsky, Martha Teichner, Rita Braver and Susan Spencer.
“Bill Small was a hero to journalism,” said CBS News president Zirinsky in a statement.
- 5/25/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Bill Small, the former Washington bureau chief for CBS News and president of NBC News, died Sunday in a New York hospital after a brief illness unrelated to the coronavirus, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced. He was 93.
Small led CBS' news operations in the nation's capital from 1962-74. He recruited Eric Sevareid, Marvin Kalb, Daniel Schorr, Harry Reasoner and Dan Rather from within the division and gave many producers and reporters their first commercial network news positions; those included Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bill Moyers, Bernard Kalb and Tom Bettag.
Meanwhile, Diane ...
Small led CBS' news operations in the nation's capital from 1962-74. He recruited Eric Sevareid, Marvin Kalb, Daniel Schorr, Harry Reasoner and Dan Rather from within the division and gave many producers and reporters their first commercial network news positions; those included Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bill Moyers, Bernard Kalb and Tom Bettag.
Meanwhile, Diane ...
- 5/25/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Bob Dylan will release his first album of original songs in eight years, Rough and Rowdy Ways, on June 19th. Early Friday morning, Dylan dropped a third song from the album, the swaggering, guitar-heavy “False Prophet,” which follows “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes.” “I ain’t no false prophet,” Dylan growls over a slinky striptease-blues groove, powered by a downright filthy fuzz-guitar riff. “I just know what I know.”
The song’s lyrics veer between existential weariness, Willie Dixon-worthy boasts, unabashed come-ons (at one point addressing two...
The song’s lyrics veer between existential weariness, Willie Dixon-worthy boasts, unabashed come-ons (at one point addressing two...
- 5/8/2020
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
“All right. I am told there is a tie.”
— Presenter N.J. Burkett, president of the New York chapter of NATAS, at the 2014 News & Documentary Emmy Awards
For decades, the biggest names in television news were honored at the annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards through a voting system that was designed to generate a bewildering number of ties.
Since the awards were launched in 1980, more than 280 categories ended in ties, including some crazy ones in the early years. At the inaugural awards in 1980, there were two nine-way ties and an eight-way tie. In 1981, a category ended in a 21-way tie. By 1985, a total of 24 awards – nearly half of all the those presented – ended in ties. During the 1990s, there were 124 ties, averaging more than 12 a year.
Records provided to Deadline by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reveal that since 1980, only four of 39 shows didn’t include at least one...
— Presenter N.J. Burkett, president of the New York chapter of NATAS, at the 2014 News & Documentary Emmy Awards
For decades, the biggest names in television news were honored at the annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards through a voting system that was designed to generate a bewildering number of ties.
Since the awards were launched in 1980, more than 280 categories ended in ties, including some crazy ones in the early years. At the inaugural awards in 1980, there were two nine-way ties and an eight-way tie. In 1981, a category ended in a 21-way tie. By 1985, a total of 24 awards – nearly half of all the those presented – ended in ties. During the 1990s, there were 124 ties, averaging more than 12 a year.
Records provided to Deadline by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reveal that since 1980, only four of 39 shows didn’t include at least one...
- 9/25/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Susan Zirinsky, the new head of CBS News, has a lot on her plate, and she is making changes quickly. One thing she seemingly does not need to worry about — for now — is the Sunday night stalwart “60 Minutes,” still a top-10 rated primetime network broadcast series when it’s not a rerun.
The program has endured, even while gradually losing its all-star lineup. Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, commentator Andy Rooney and legendary creator Don Hewitt, have died. Steve Kroft, who inherited the Mike Wallace tough-guy role, just retired. The show continues even though it’s been tarnished by #MeToo accusations that have led to the ouster of Jeff Fager, the executive producer after Hewitt, and contributor Charlie Rose.
So the timing of a new documentary, “Mike Wallace Is Here,” may either be a perfect salve, for longtime fans, or a lesson about great journalism for younger folks.
The program has endured, even while gradually losing its all-star lineup. Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, commentator Andy Rooney and legendary creator Don Hewitt, have died. Steve Kroft, who inherited the Mike Wallace tough-guy role, just retired. The show continues even though it’s been tarnished by #MeToo accusations that have led to the ouster of Jeff Fager, the executive producer after Hewitt, and contributor Charlie Rose.
So the timing of a new documentary, “Mike Wallace Is Here,” may either be a perfect salve, for longtime fans, or a lesson about great journalism for younger folks.
- 7/24/2019
- by Mary Murphy and Michele Willens
- The Wrap
Steve Kroft will retire from 60 Minutes at the end of his 30th season on the newsmag, CBS News announced Friday.
America’s most-watched news program. The 73-year-old correspondent is currently the news magazine’s longest tenured reporter, having reported nearly 500 60 Minutes stories – many among the broadcast’s biggest moments.
Kroft, who arrived at CBS News in 1980, will announce his plans to step down this Sunday after the broadcast’s 51st season finale. The newsmag will celebrate his 50-year career with a tribute broadcast in September.
His last segment for the newsmag, airing this Sunday, is an investigation into bank fraud.
When Kroft came to 60 Minutes in 1989, he joined what CBS News is fond of calling its journalists’ Murderers’ Row – an all-male club that included Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley. Kroft’s first assignment for the newsmag took him to radioactive Chernobyl.
Among Kroft’s career highlights:...
America’s most-watched news program. The 73-year-old correspondent is currently the news magazine’s longest tenured reporter, having reported nearly 500 60 Minutes stories – many among the broadcast’s biggest moments.
Kroft, who arrived at CBS News in 1980, will announce his plans to step down this Sunday after the broadcast’s 51st season finale. The newsmag will celebrate his 50-year career with a tribute broadcast in September.
His last segment for the newsmag, airing this Sunday, is an investigation into bank fraud.
When Kroft came to 60 Minutes in 1989, he joined what CBS News is fond of calling its journalists’ Murderers’ Row – an all-male club that included Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley. Kroft’s first assignment for the newsmag took him to radioactive Chernobyl.
Among Kroft’s career highlights:...
- 5/17/2019
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran “60 Minutes” Steven Kroft will retire from the show where he has been a fixture since joining in 1989.
“Steve Kroft’s reporting for ’60 Minutes’ has been as important as any correspondent’s in the history of this broadcast,” executive producer Bill Owens said in a statement on Friday. “Steve, with his sharp eye for detail, rich writing and demanding journalism, has set the bar at ’60 Minutes’ for three decades.”
Kroft’s last show will be May 19 but the program will plan a special broadcast in September to celebrate his 50-year career in journalism.
Also Read: Inside the CBS Upfront: James Corden Tweaks 'Blue Bloods,' and 'Big Bang Theory' Gets a Sendoff
Kroft, who first joined CBS in 1980, is one of the network’s most celebrated reporters, and has amassed a trove of journalism awards including Peabodys and Polks during his years at the network. When he first signed on with “60 Minutes,...
“Steve Kroft’s reporting for ’60 Minutes’ has been as important as any correspondent’s in the history of this broadcast,” executive producer Bill Owens said in a statement on Friday. “Steve, with his sharp eye for detail, rich writing and demanding journalism, has set the bar at ’60 Minutes’ for three decades.”
Kroft’s last show will be May 19 but the program will plan a special broadcast in September to celebrate his 50-year career in journalism.
Also Read: Inside the CBS Upfront: James Corden Tweaks 'Blue Bloods,' and 'Big Bang Theory' Gets a Sendoff
Kroft, who first joined CBS in 1980, is one of the network’s most celebrated reporters, and has amassed a trove of journalism awards including Peabodys and Polks during his years at the network. When he first signed on with “60 Minutes,...
- 5/17/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Tanya Simon has been promoted to executive editor of 60 Minutes. The daughter of Bob Simon has worked for the broadcast for nearly 20 years and most recently was one of its senior producers. Her responsibilities included overseeing digital content and supervising production of 60 Minutes Sports for Showtime.
As a producer and associate producer, Simon played key roles in some of the CBS newsmag’s highest-profile reports. On Ed Bradley’s team, she produced news stories such as the Duke lacrosse rape case, and the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Simon then worked with nearly all the program’s correspondents for the next decade, and produced stories for Anderson Cooper, Steve Kroft, Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl, Oprah Winfrey, and her father.
Among Simon-produced segments was the first major television interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the first interview with hero pilot Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, and the investigation that...
As a producer and associate producer, Simon played key roles in some of the CBS newsmag’s highest-profile reports. On Ed Bradley’s team, she produced news stories such as the Duke lacrosse rape case, and the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Simon then worked with nearly all the program’s correspondents for the next decade, and produced stories for Anderson Cooper, Steve Kroft, Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl, Oprah Winfrey, and her father.
Among Simon-produced segments was the first major television interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the first interview with hero pilot Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, and the investigation that...
- 4/11/2019
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
Tanya Simon, a veteran at CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” has been named the new executive editor of the program, putting a female producer into the top echelon of the CBS News show after an unexpected transition of leadership.
Simon has worked for the broadcast for nearly 20 years and was one of the show’s senior producers. Among her recent responsibilities were overseeing digital content and the production of the spin-off “60 Minutes Sports” for Showtime, also part of CBS Corp. But her time at the program has included other significant duties. She produced some of former correspondent Ed Bradley’s most memorable segments, including coverage of the Duke Lacrosse Rape case, which took Peabody and Emmy awards, as well as an examination of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11.
She has also produced the first major television interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange; an Emmy-winning first interview with hero pilot Capt.
Simon has worked for the broadcast for nearly 20 years and was one of the show’s senior producers. Among her recent responsibilities were overseeing digital content and the production of the spin-off “60 Minutes Sports” for Showtime, also part of CBS Corp. But her time at the program has included other significant duties. She produced some of former correspondent Ed Bradley’s most memorable segments, including coverage of the Duke Lacrosse Rape case, which took Peabody and Emmy awards, as well as an examination of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11.
She has also produced the first major television interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange; an Emmy-winning first interview with hero pilot Capt.
- 4/11/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Alan Weisman, a longtime producer for “60 Minutes” known for his work with Morley Safer, died Thursday at his home in New Jersey of natural causes. He was 68.
Weisman produced some of Safer’s most memorable “60 Minutes” segments, including the 1984 profile of Jackie Gleason and the 1989 jailhouse interview that brought national attention to the plight of Joyce Ann Brown, whose conviction for murder was set aside shortly after the segment aired. Weisman also produced Safer’s interviews with such showbiz notables as Jack Lemmon, Woody Allen and violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.
Weisman worked on the “60 Minutes II” series that aired on CBS from 1999 to 2005. Most recently he produced segments for the Showtime series “60 Minutes Sports.”
“Alan Weisman was a brilliant writer and sophisticated storyteller. He was also a brutally honest and funny colleague,” said Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes.” “I have never met anyone prouder to have worked at CBS and ’60 Minutes.
Weisman produced some of Safer’s most memorable “60 Minutes” segments, including the 1984 profile of Jackie Gleason and the 1989 jailhouse interview that brought national attention to the plight of Joyce Ann Brown, whose conviction for murder was set aside shortly after the segment aired. Weisman also produced Safer’s interviews with such showbiz notables as Jack Lemmon, Woody Allen and violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.
Weisman worked on the “60 Minutes II” series that aired on CBS from 1999 to 2005. Most recently he produced segments for the Showtime series “60 Minutes Sports.”
“Alan Weisman was a brilliant writer and sophisticated storyteller. He was also a brutally honest and funny colleague,” said Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes.” “I have never met anyone prouder to have worked at CBS and ’60 Minutes.
- 2/24/2019
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Susan Zirinsky is a veteran hand at CBS News, having worked there since the days of Watergate. But the actions she takes over the next few months will have more to do with the future of one of the nation’s best-known news outlets, not its past.
CBS on Jan. 6 said Zirinsky would become president and senior executive producer of CBS News, a title that comes with challenges as well as the usual glory. She will assume duties in March, replacing David Rhodes and becoming the first woman to run the storied division. But she takes command of CBS News after more than a year’s worth of turmoil related to fallout from the departure of former anchor Charlie Rose and former CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, both ousted after sexual misconduct allegations that both have denied.
During that time, some of CBS News’ top properties — “CBS This Morning,” “Face the...
CBS on Jan. 6 said Zirinsky would become president and senior executive producer of CBS News, a title that comes with challenges as well as the usual glory. She will assume duties in March, replacing David Rhodes and becoming the first woman to run the storied division. But she takes command of CBS News after more than a year’s worth of turmoil related to fallout from the departure of former anchor Charlie Rose and former CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, both ousted after sexual misconduct allegations that both have denied.
During that time, some of CBS News’ top properties — “CBS This Morning,” “Face the...
- 1/9/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
CBS News has never had a great history of black reporters at the network. There was Russ Mitchell, but he's gone; and both Harold Dow and Ed Bradley are dead. And now their most high profile black reporter, Byron Pitts, is about to jump ship. It was quietly announced last Friday that Pitts, who is a CBS national correspondent and a regular on 60 Minutes, will be joining ABC News as both chief national correspondent and as a news anchor. His hiring goes along with the recent hiring of black N.Y. Times reporter Susan Saulny as an ABC national reporter The recent hires are all part of a major move by ABC News head Ben Sherwood to "court political reporters from the N.Y....
- 3/4/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
A Hitchhiker’s Guide: France’s Documentary a Masterful Ode to AIDS Activism
By focusing on the birth of the Activist group Act Up in 1987, when the United States was already six years into the AIDS epidemic and the crisis was still being largely ignored by the powers that be, documentary filmmaker David France uses this as a jumping board into a massive and overwhelming subject. With How to Survive a Plague, he manages, largely through actual film and media compiled from the period, to streamline the history of the ongoing AIDS crisis, homophobic informed politics, and gay rights while honoring the history of the brave souls that challenged the system in an arduous battle that finally developed a manageable and helpful treatment to those infected. This heartfelt and moving documentary, opening in a particularly hopeful period of time in the ongoing struggle for Lgbt American citizens to obtain equal rights,...
By focusing on the birth of the Activist group Act Up in 1987, when the United States was already six years into the AIDS epidemic and the crisis was still being largely ignored by the powers that be, documentary filmmaker David France uses this as a jumping board into a massive and overwhelming subject. With How to Survive a Plague, he manages, largely through actual film and media compiled from the period, to streamline the history of the ongoing AIDS crisis, homophobic informed politics, and gay rights while honoring the history of the brave souls that challenged the system in an arduous battle that finally developed a manageable and helpful treatment to those infected. This heartfelt and moving documentary, opening in a particularly hopeful period of time in the ongoing struggle for Lgbt American citizens to obtain equal rights,...
- 12/12/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
New York (AP) — Chris Wallace turned and blew a kiss to a giant portrait of his father, "60 Minutes" journalist Mike Wallace, after memorializing him Tuesday as "the best journalist I have ever known."
The Fox News anchor also told of when his father tried to steal an interview from him and, when his infuriated son called to confront him, paused when told he had to choose between Chris Wallace and Chris Rock. Mike Wallace didn't take the interview, but handed if off to Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes" instead.
Former colleagues, friends and family members swapped stories about Wallace in an auditorium a few blocks from where he worked, before an audience that included Gop presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and journalism luminaries like Roger Ailes and Carl Bernstein. The public face of TV's most enduring newsmagazine for nearly four decades, Mike Wallace died at age 93 on April 7.
Some of the stories were flattering,...
The Fox News anchor also told of when his father tried to steal an interview from him and, when his infuriated son called to confront him, paused when told he had to choose between Chris Wallace and Chris Rock. Mike Wallace didn't take the interview, but handed if off to Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes" instead.
Former colleagues, friends and family members swapped stories about Wallace in an auditorium a few blocks from where he worked, before an audience that included Gop presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and journalism luminaries like Roger Ailes and Carl Bernstein. The public face of TV's most enduring newsmagazine for nearly four decades, Mike Wallace died at age 93 on April 7.
Some of the stories were flattering,...
- 5/1/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
New York (AP) — Chris Wallace turned and blew a kiss to a giant portrait of his father, "60 Minutes" journalist Mike Wallace, after memorializing him Tuesday as "the best journalist I have ever known."
The Fox News anchor also told of when his father tried to steal an interview from him and, when his infuriated son called to confront him, paused when told he had to choose between Chris Wallace and Chris Rock. Mike Wallace didn't take the interview, but handed if off to Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes" instead.
Former colleagues, friends and family members swapped stories about Wallace in an auditorium a few blocks from where he worked, before an audience that included Gop presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and journalism luminaries like Roger Ailes and Carl Bernstein. The public face of TV's most enduring newsmagazine for nearly four decades, Mike Wallace died at age 93 on April 7.
Some of the stories were flattering,...
The Fox News anchor also told of when his father tried to steal an interview from him and, when his infuriated son called to confront him, paused when told he had to choose between Chris Wallace and Chris Rock. Mike Wallace didn't take the interview, but handed if off to Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes" instead.
Former colleagues, friends and family members swapped stories about Wallace in an auditorium a few blocks from where he worked, before an audience that included Gop presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and journalism luminaries like Roger Ailes and Carl Bernstein. The public face of TV's most enduring newsmagazine for nearly four decades, Mike Wallace died at age 93 on April 7.
Some of the stories were flattering,...
- 5/1/2012
- by AP
- Aol TV.
In the news game they were called The Wrinklies, the old men who for years dominated TV news at 60 Minutes. Now they’re dying off. Don Hewitt, Ed Bradley, Andy Rooney — and, this past weekend, Mike Wallace. Obituaries rightly celebrate these men’s substantial accomplishments. Wallace and his colleagues adapted the news documentary formula to make it engaging for TV viewers, and kept them coming back week after week. But if newscasters want to celebrate that legacy, then they need to stop emulating the reporting style that the 60 Minutes team developed 44 years ago and find different ways to make investigative reporting relevant and sustainable. Wallace became famous by putting bullies in the hot seat, casting himself as a crusader for common sense and fair play in a world filled with villains and victims. He did this most memorably with ambush interviews, capturing defiant subjects when they had nowhere to hide.
- 4/10/2012
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
- Deadline TV
"What are the four most dreaded words in the English language? Mike Wallace is here." So read a 60 Minutes ad that once hung on a wall in Mike's office, overlooking the Hudson River. Mike commanded attention, whether seated quietly at his desk or gracefully walking the hollowed halls of the 60 Minutes' offices on New York's West Side.
60 Minutes was created by the late great Don Hewitt, its brilliant and tirelessly energetic executive producer. He asked the late Harry Reasoner, a superb broadcast writer, and Mike Wallace, a demanding interviewer, to anchor the program. 60 Minutes is one of the greatest television programs of all time. The broadcast has finished the season first in the television ratings five times, and it has finished among the season's top 10 programs 23 times.
Since its inception, its quality story-telling and fiercely competitive spirit has characterized 60 Minutes. And working for the powerful 60 Minutes brand name over the years were legendary journalists like,...
60 Minutes was created by the late great Don Hewitt, its brilliant and tirelessly energetic executive producer. He asked the late Harry Reasoner, a superb broadcast writer, and Mike Wallace, a demanding interviewer, to anchor the program. 60 Minutes is one of the greatest television programs of all time. The broadcast has finished the season first in the television ratings five times, and it has finished among the season's top 10 programs 23 times.
Since its inception, its quality story-telling and fiercely competitive spirit has characterized 60 Minutes. And working for the powerful 60 Minutes brand name over the years were legendary journalists like,...
- 4/8/2012
- by Joe Peyronnin
- Aol TV.
Wynton Marsalis, internationally acclaimed musician, composer and educator, has been named Cultural Correspondent for CBS. It was announced today by CBS News Chairman and 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager and David Rhodes, President, CBS News. In this role, Marsalis will provide insight into a broad range of cultural and educational developments on CBS This Morning and CBS Sunday Morning. His first CBS News appearance will be on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, as the nation observes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. “Wynton Marsalis and CBS News have a strong connection that goes back many years,” said Fager. “His appearances on 60 Minutes, including his part in our tribute to the great Ed Bradley, were memorable, and the beautiful sounds of his trumpet adorn the network every single week with the fanfare that opens Sunday Morning. Now our viewers will benefit from a regular dose of his insights and observations about American culture.
- 12/15/2011
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
- Deadline TV
This $20m film is based on Latif Yahia's claim to have been a body double for Uday Hussein. But his story doesn't add up
This weekend sees the UK release of The Devil's Double, a $20m action blockbuster set in the "lawless playground of excess and violence known as Baghdad, 1987". The film is purportedly based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi army captain forced to work as a body double for the eldest son of Saddam Hussein, Uday.
But in all the hype surrounding its release, one important point is in danger of being lost: the story depicted in this film almost certainly never happened.
On the surface, Latif Yahia's is a compelling tale. While on active service during the Iran-Iraq war, he was summoned to Baghdad to serve as Uday's "fidi" (or body double). When he refused, he was tortured and forced to undergo cosmetic surgery,...
This weekend sees the UK release of The Devil's Double, a $20m action blockbuster set in the "lawless playground of excess and violence known as Baghdad, 1987". The film is purportedly based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi army captain forced to work as a body double for the eldest son of Saddam Hussein, Uday.
But in all the hype surrounding its release, one important point is in danger of being lost: the story depicted in this film almost certainly never happened.
On the surface, Latif Yahia's is a compelling tale. While on active service during the Iran-Iraq war, he was summoned to Baghdad to serve as Uday's "fidi" (or body double). When he refused, he was tortured and forced to undergo cosmetic surgery,...
- 8/13/2011
- by Eoin Butler
- The Guardian - Film News
The network, which is shaking up its management, has asked anchor Katie Couric to stay on through the 2012 elections-for significantly less money than her original $15 million deal, a source tells Howard Kurtz.
CBS has asked Katie Couric to stay on as anchor after her lucrative contract expires at the end of May, a source familiar with the situation tells The Daily Beast.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Why Egypt's Naysayers Got It Wrong
While negotiations have not yet started and a deal might fail to materialize, this is the first concrete indication that Les Moonves, the company's chief executive, has made a decision on extending her deal.
That word comes amid a management shakeup in which Jeff Fager, the 60 Minutes executive producer, takes over CBS News from Sean McManus, the man who helped lure Couric from NBC's Today show five years ago.
If Couric and the network reach agreement,...
CBS has asked Katie Couric to stay on as anchor after her lucrative contract expires at the end of May, a source familiar with the situation tells The Daily Beast.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Why Egypt's Naysayers Got It Wrong
While negotiations have not yet started and a deal might fail to materialize, this is the first concrete indication that Les Moonves, the company's chief executive, has made a decision on extending her deal.
That word comes amid a management shakeup in which Jeff Fager, the 60 Minutes executive producer, takes over CBS News from Sean McManus, the man who helped lure Couric from NBC's Today show five years ago.
If Couric and the network reach agreement,...
- 2/9/2011
- by Howard Kurtz
- The Daily Beast
Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford was inspired to have his ear pierced after a drinking session with earring-wearing pals Ed Bradley and Jimmy Buffett.
The actor's choice to sport the jewellery at the age of 65 has raised eyebrows, but he insists it was a spontaneous decision inspired by alcohol, 10 years ago.
He says. "I was at a semi-drunken lunch with Ed Bradley and Jimmy Buffett, who were both wearing earrings.
"I walked down Madison Avenue till I found the first jewellery store that pierced ears."...
The actor's choice to sport the jewellery at the age of 65 has raised eyebrows, but he insists it was a spontaneous decision inspired by alcohol, 10 years ago.
He says. "I was at a semi-drunken lunch with Ed Bradley and Jimmy Buffett, who were both wearing earrings.
"I walked down Madison Avenue till I found the first jewellery store that pierced ears."...
- 4/21/2008
- WENN
Emmy-winning producer John Hamlin has been named senior vp production and development at CMT, based in Nashville.
Hamlin, whose appointment is effective in late July, will oversee all Nashville-based TV production and development, including series, events and music production. He will report to CMT head of development Bob Kusbit.
Hamlin, who has more than 25 years of TV experience, spent 15 years as a producer for CBS News' "60 Minutes", where he was responsible for both editorial and production content, with journalists Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Steve Kroft, Bob Simon and Anderson Cooper.
He also has worked on hundreds of live concerts worldwide and held posts at CBS Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN, where he worked on such sporting events as the Olympics, the World Series, Super Bowls and the NBA Finals.
"(Hamlin's) years of experience on one of TV's finest and most credible shows, combined with his enduring relationships within the music industry, will serve us well as we continue to expand our original programming," CMT executive vp and GM Brian Philips said.
Hamlin, whose appointment is effective in late July, will oversee all Nashville-based TV production and development, including series, events and music production. He will report to CMT head of development Bob Kusbit.
Hamlin, who has more than 25 years of TV experience, spent 15 years as a producer for CBS News' "60 Minutes", where he was responsible for both editorial and production content, with journalists Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Steve Kroft, Bob Simon and Anderson Cooper.
He also has worked on hundreds of live concerts worldwide and held posts at CBS Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN, where he worked on such sporting events as the Olympics, the World Series, Super Bowls and the NBA Finals.
"(Hamlin's) years of experience on one of TV's finest and most credible shows, combined with his enduring relationships within the music industry, will serve us well as we continue to expand our original programming," CMT executive vp and GM Brian Philips said.
- 6/26/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- NBC's The Office, Friday Night Lights and Scrubs along with ABC's Ugly Betty and the late Ed Bradley's investigation of the Duke rape case for 60 Minutes highlighted the 2006 George Foster Peabody Awards announced Wednesday by the University of Georgia.
HBO received five awards, including one for Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also won for Elizabeth I, Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer, Baghdad ER and HBO Family's The Music in Me, about young musicians.
The NBC version of the famed British series -- which itself won a Peabody -- was honored because it "firmly established its own precise voice and studied brilliance," according to Peabody judges. Scrubs -- which, like The Office, airs on Thursday nights -- was honored for its parody of The Wizard of Oz, and the critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged Lights was awarded a Peabody for its "clear-eyed" reality. Betty is "unmistakably graced with wry intelligence and heart," the Peabody judges said.
ABC News won two Peabodys, for Brian Ross' investigation about the Mark Foley scandal and for "Out of Control: AIDS in Black America," which included some of the last interviews done by the late anchor Peter Jennings.
HBO received five awards, including one for Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also won for Elizabeth I, Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer, Baghdad ER and HBO Family's The Music in Me, about young musicians.
The NBC version of the famed British series -- which itself won a Peabody -- was honored because it "firmly established its own precise voice and studied brilliance," according to Peabody judges. Scrubs -- which, like The Office, airs on Thursday nights -- was honored for its parody of The Wizard of Oz, and the critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged Lights was awarded a Peabody for its "clear-eyed" reality. Betty is "unmistakably graced with wry intelligence and heart," the Peabody judges said.
ABC News won two Peabodys, for Brian Ross' investigation about the Mark Foley scandal and for "Out of Control: AIDS in Black America," which included some of the last interviews done by the late anchor Peter Jennings.
The late Ed Bradley's 60 Minutes story on allegations of rape against the Duke University lacrosse team and ABC newsman Brian Ross' investigation into the Mark Foley sex scandal are also among the 35 honorees. "No dramatic series, broadcast or cable, is more grounded in contemporary American reality than this clear-eyed serial about the hopes, dreams, livelihoods and egos intertwined with the fate of high school football in a Texas town," the Peabody board said of Friday Night Lights.
- 4/4/2007
- by Ed Bark
- UncleBarky.com
NEW YORK -- Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, ABC's Bob Woodruff and CBS' Kimberly Dozier will be honored at the 17th annual First Amendment Awards Dinner in Washington.
The awards, set for March 8, are held by the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation. They will honor the journalists' work on freedom of the press in the U.S. and worldwide. Ailes, Dozier, Woodruff and New England Cable News' Philip Balboni are this year's honorees; all are scheduled to attend the dinner.
Ailes will receive the 2006 First Amendment Leadership Award, whose past recipients include Floyd Abrams, Katharine Graham, Don Hewitt, Roone Arledge and Ted Turner, among others. Woodruff and Dozier each will get the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award, and there will be a tribute to every journalist who has been hurt or killed in covering the war in Iraq. Others who have received the award include Ed Bradley, Sam Donaldson, Jim Lehrer and Diane Sawyer.
The awards, set for March 8, are held by the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation. They will honor the journalists' work on freedom of the press in the U.S. and worldwide. Ailes, Dozier, Woodruff and New England Cable News' Philip Balboni are this year's honorees; all are scheduled to attend the dinner.
Ailes will receive the 2006 First Amendment Leadership Award, whose past recipients include Floyd Abrams, Katharine Graham, Don Hewitt, Roone Arledge and Ted Turner, among others. Woodruff and Dozier each will get the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award, and there will be a tribute to every journalist who has been hurt or killed in covering the war in Iraq. Others who have received the award include Ed Bradley, Sam Donaldson, Jim Lehrer and Diane Sawyer.
- 1/10/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Desperate Housewives ruled the roost again on Sunday for ABC, though NBC was competitive with its Chicago Bears-New York Giants matchup on Sunday Night Football. CBS' 60 Minutes spiked with its hourlong tribute to correspondent Ed Bradley, who died Thursday at age 65.
ABC's 9 p.m. anchor Housewives appeared to be the most-watched program of the night with an average of 22.2 million viewers and 9.0 rating/20 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. Reliable national estimates for NBC's live football coverage won't be available until Tuesday, but it appeared the Bears' 38-20 romp of the Giants topped out in the 18 million-19 million viewer range.
ABC's 9 p.m. anchor Housewives appeared to be the most-watched program of the night with an average of 22.2 million viewers and 9.0 rating/20 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. Reliable national estimates for NBC's live football coverage won't be available until Tuesday, but it appeared the Bears' 38-20 romp of the Giants topped out in the 18 million-19 million viewer range.
- 11/14/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Desperate Housewives ruled the roost again on Sunday for ABC, though NBC was competitive with its Chicago Bears-New York Giants matchup on Sunday Night Football. CBS' 60 Minutes spiked with its hourlong tribute to correspondent Ed Bradley, who died Thursday at age 65.
ABC's 9 p.m. anchor Housewives appeared to be the most-watched program of the night with an average of 22.2 million viewers and 9.0 rating/20 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. Reliable national estimates for NBC's live football coverage won't be available until Tuesday, but it appeared the Bears' 38-20 romp of the Giants topped out in the 18 million-19 million viewer range.
ABC's 9 p.m. anchor Housewives appeared to be the most-watched program of the night with an average of 22.2 million viewers and 9.0 rating/20 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. Reliable national estimates for NBC's live football coverage won't be available until Tuesday, but it appeared the Bears' 38-20 romp of the Giants topped out in the 18 million-19 million viewer range.
- 11/13/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veteran US newsman Ed Bradley died yesterday of complications from leukemia. He was 65. Two years ago, Bradley was diagnosed with leukemia and was in remission, but he took a turn for the worse two weeks ago. He passed away at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City. Bradley joined news show 60 Minutes during the 1981-82 season and also anchored and reported hour-long specials. Longtime colleague Mike Wallace said, "(He was) a man of gentleness and a man of strength, a man of integrity. Bradley was a complete reporter and a reporter's reporter. He covered the world, really." The newsman began his broadcast career as a radio disc jockey and became a full-time correspondent for CBS in 1973. He covered the fall of Cambodia and Vietnam in 1975 and was named White House correspondent in 1976. Two years later he joined CBS Reports. Bradley was married to artist Patricia Blanchett and lived in Woody Creek, Colorado and New York City.
- 11/10/2006
- WENN
NEW YORK -- America's top newsmagazine is taking a premier spot on the Web. CBS said Thursday that 60 Minutes will become the third Tiffany network show to be featured on Yahoo! after it streamed episodes of Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother late last year. 60 Minutes won't fully be going online until September, but beginning Sunday, Yahoo! will offer a preview of what will become a weekly online platform with the beginning of the new TV season. The preview kicks off with clips, outtakes and other extras from Ed Bradley's interview with golf star Tiger Woods, which will air Sunday. 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager said Thursday that the content on Yahoo! will include blogs and outtakes from the interviews.
- 3/23/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CBS has strongly denied a report in Wednesday's New York Times that the network paid $1 million to secure a 60 Minutes interview with embattled pop star Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson on Wednesday denied that the singer was roughed up by jailers when he surrendered to face child molestation charges, as Jackson claimed in Sunday's 60 Minutes telecast, but asked for a state attorney general investigation of the matter. The Times reported that CBS agreed to pay Jackson an additional $1 million for his upcoming CBS music special Michael Jackson Number Ones in exchange for his agreeing to grant his first interview since his November arrest on child molestation allegations to 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley. CBS had been scheduled to air the Jackson music special in late November but yanked it at the last minute after Jackson's arrest.
CBS has strongly denied a report in Wednesday's New York Times that the network paid $1 million to secure a 60 Minutes interview with embattled pop star Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson on Wednesday denied that the singer was roughed up by jailers when he surrendered to face child molestation charges, as Jackson claimed in Sunday's 60 Minutes telecast, but asked for a state attorney general investigation of the matter. The Times reported that CBS agreed to pay Jackson an additional $1 million for his upcoming CBS music special Michael Jackson Number Ones in exchange for his agreeing to grant his first interview since his November arrest on child molestation allegations to 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley. CBS had been scheduled to air the Jackson music special in late November but yanked it at the last minute after Jackson's arrest.
CBS has strongly denied a report in Wednesday's New York Times that the network paid $1 million to secure a 60 Minutes interview with embattled pop star Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson on Wednesday denied that the singer was roughed up by jailers when he surrendered to face child molestation charges, as Jackson claimed in Sunday's 60 Minutes telecast, but asked for a state attorney general investigation of the matter. The Times reported that CBS agreed to pay Jackson an additional $1 million for his upcoming CBS music special Michael Jackson Number Ones in exchange for his agreeing to grant his first interview since his November arrest on child molestation allegations to 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley. CBS had been scheduled to air the Jackson music special in late November but yanked it at the last minute after Jackson's arrest.
Michael Jackson's first interview since his arrest on child molestation allegations drew more than 18 million viewers to 60 Minutes on Sunday. 60 Minutes outpaced its season-to-date average by 12%, drawing 18.2 million viewers for Ed Bradley's sit-down with the embattled pop star, even though the newsmagazine's start time was delayed by a half-hour in many markets because of CBS' football coverage. Airing from 7:30-8:30 p.m. EST, 60 Minutes pulled a 5.5 rating/16 share in the adults 18-49 demographic and a 6.7/16 in adults 25-54, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Still, Jackson's strenuous denials of the felony charges facing him did not deliver 60 Minutes' largest audience of the season -- that title remains with Mike Wallace's Nov. 30 interview with former New York Giants star Lawrence Taylor, which drew 19.1 million viewers.
- 12/30/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CBS has firmed up its scheduling plans for Michael Jackson Number Ones, slating the hourlong retrospective on the singer's career for 8 p.m. on Jan. 2. The special, originally scheduled to run Nov. 26 in conjunction with the release of Jackson's greatest-hits disc of the same name, was hastily diverted shortly before its airdate as the pop star was arrested and later charged with seven counts of child molestation. Number Ones will follow Jackson's first interview since the new allegations surfaced, which aired Sunday on CBS' 60 Minutes. In a sit-down with CBS veteran newsman Ed Bradley, Jackson strongly denied the molestation charges, saying he would rather "slit his wrists" than hurt a child.
- 12/29/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Jackson insists he shouldn't be vilified for his sleepovers with children - because he isn't a murderer or a sex fiend. In his first TV interview since his arrest and subsequent charges of child molestation, the pop superstar tells American journalist Ed Bradley he'll never stop sleeping with kids because he isn't doing anything wrong. Jackson sat for a chat with Bradley on Christmas Day for Sunday's 60 Minutes, and used the short interview to deny all nine charges stacked up against him. He tells Bradley, "If it was Jack The Ripper; if it was about murder or sex, it (sleeping with kids) would be wrong. But it's not like that, so it's alright." Bradley admits Jacko appeared to be in pain throughout the interview and told the journalist the charges against him stem solely from "money and greed". Jackson is due to be arraigned next month.
- 12/29/2003
- WENN
Michael Jackson has granted his first interview since being charged with child molestation to "60 Minutes'" Ed Bradley, as expected (HR 12/24). The interview will air in the upcoming edition of the venerable CBS newsmagazine Sunday, Dec. 28, a CBS spokesman confirmed Friday. The network also firmed up its plans to run the "Michael Jackson Number Ones", an hourlong retrospective on the singer's career, which is now scheduled to air Jan. 2. The special, originally scheduled to run Nov. 26 in conjunction with the release of Jackson's greatest-hits disc of the same name, was hastily scrapped shortly before its airdate as the allegations against the former pop mega star surfaced. 45-year-old Jackson is charged with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent. He is free on a $3 million bail. Bradley met with Jackson at a Los Angeles hotel Thursday for a 30-minute interview. This is not the first time the veteran "60 Minutes" journalist has pursued a sit-down with Jackson. Bradley traveled to Jackson's Neverland ranch last February for an interview, but the singer reportedly got cold feet and canceled it at the last minute. (AP contributed to this report)...
- 12/26/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Michael Jackson music special that CBS hastily scrapped last month may surface next month. And there was strong buzz in TV news circles Tuesday that Jackson may grant his first interview since being charged with child molestation to 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley next month. Sources said CBS is considering a January airdate for Michael Jackson Number Ones, an hourlong retrospective on the singer's career that had been scheduled to run Nov. 26 in conjunction with the release of Jackson's greatest-hits disc of the same name. A CBS spokesman declined comment Tuesday on the special. CBS pulled Number Ones less than a week before its scheduled premiere when the latest child molestation allegations against Jackson erupted. At the time, CBS cited the "gravity" of the charges leveled against the singer, though the network did reserve the right to reconsider running the special "after the due process of the legal system runs its course" (HR 11/20). Last week, Jackson was charged in Santa Barbara County with seven felony counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to a minor earlier this year. As for the possibility of a 60 Minutes sit-down between Bradley and Jackson, a spokesman for the newsmagazine said producers "would not comment on rumors," while Jackson attorney Mark Geragos also declined comment. Jackson is scheduled to be arraigned on the nine felony counts Jan. 16.
- 12/24/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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