Posted on 02/01/2006 10:17:56 AM PST by LdSentinal
CBS White House correspondent John Roberts is leaving the network to join CNN as senior national correspondent, effective Feb. 20.
Roberts had been considered by many to be a prime candidate to take over the anchor chair at the CBS Evening News, but CBS News chief Sean McManus put those ideas to rest last month when he told reporters at the TCA press tour that while Roberts was “an excellent White House correspondent...we are looking in a different direction.”
In a letter to his CBS colleagues, Roberts wrote: “For nearly 14 years at the network, and two years at our Miami station, I have been a part of CBS News, and it a huge part of me. Ultimately, though, all relationships must come to an end, and regrettably, it is time to end my relationship here.”
Roberts added that the move will be difficult and that “the ache of anxious anticipation has been gnawing away at [him] for some time now,” but did not explicitly reveal why he was making the jump to cable.
Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S said that by freeing Roberts from the White House beat, the veteran newsman “will be able to dig deeper into the political stories that have been breaking around the nation’s capital and beyond.”
The move also kindles speculation that CNN and CBS are inching toward a merger of their respective news-gathering resources. Meanwhile, questions remain about who will assume Dan Rather's mantle at the CBS News desk. In a recent interview with Mediaweek, media analyst and autor Jeff Alan noted that should CBS go forward with plans to lure Katie Couric over to the anchor chair, there's no magic bullet for what ails the broadcast news model.
“The problem is they may pay her an extraordinary amount of money, and they’ll get an initial ratings spike, but it won’t have any long term affects,” Alan said.
Roberts served as CBS News’ chief White House correspondent for six years. He was also the anchor for the Sunday edition of CBS Evening News since March 1995 and substitute anchor for Face the Nation. He began his tenure at CBS News as co-anchor of the CBS Morning News from 1992 to 1994 and as news anchor for CBS This Morning.
Prior to joining CBS, Roberts had in the early 1990s put in time as co-anchor of Canadian broadcaster CTV’s Canada A.M., the country’s highest-rated morning news program.
From one armpit of the news world to the other...
As said in another thread, he settled for sloppy seconds.
Would this be considered a promotion??? Hard to tell!!
No loss, no gain.
So this empty-suit, blow-dry guy finally took the hint that he wasn't "Dan Rather's heir apparent" after all? Good. He's a perfect fit at the liberal CNN.
WOW ain't that earth shattering news!!! Does anybody really give a s#$*!!
Shhh. Let's don't tell them.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1569460/posts
A similar but not identical recent article on the same subject.
This is basically saying that there is no backup plan when Katie Couric is hired. John Roberts was the only back-up possible...so without him...Katie demise will simply lead to CBS's news demise as she bows out. They just don't have anyone with caliber to stand up.
CBS must have decided to stick with the youthful Bob Schiefer.
I've had an on going email dialog with John Roberts since last November, when I jumped all over him. After several rants {both ways} we calmed down and have become civil. If you are a long time Freeper, you know I'm no lefty lover but I've found him to be a very reasonable and decent guy. I've already put on my asbestos suit.
Probably won't matter, since I don't see Katie Couric as being with caliber!
Translation, he'll be able to add his liberal take to all sorts of stories.
Isn't he a former Vee-Jay from a Canadian much music type show? Yup, the American Idol contestants are lining up for hard news....
I don't remember him doing Canada AM, but I do remember when they called him D.J.Roberts, and he was an air-headed Video jockey on Much Music. As far as I can tell... He hasn't changed all that much. He's still as stupid as he was all those years ago.
Lateral move...or is that horizontal. Methinks he was on the casting couch at CNN.
I don't remember him on Canada AM either, but Keith Morisson kinda ended my interest in the show. I'm so glad we have Fox now!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.