Posted on 08/30/2006 7:12:02 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS News veteran Bob Schieffer wraps his 15-month run in the "CBS Evening News" anchor chair on Thursday, paving the way for Katie Couric's debut Tuesday.
Schieffer recently spoke about Couric's prospects, his delayed retirement, a big regret, and his budding career as a songwriter.
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: HOW DO YOU THINK KATIE'S GOING TO DO WHEN SHE TAKES OVER THE ANCHOR CHAIR NEXT WEEK?
Bob Schieffer: Katie's got all the tools. I think she's going to do a terrific job. She clearly has an enormous following. She's going to bring some people into the tent just because she's Katie, and that's all to the good. It'll be interesting to see what happens. . . . I think Katie has a good chance to make this news program No. 1. Maybe not next week, but in time.
THR: HAVE YOU GIVEN HER ANY ADVICE?
Schieffer: I really haven't. I mean, we've chatted and all of that. But it's like when your kids get to be a certain age. You have to be there, but you have to be careful not to always be giving them advice. Katie's smart, and the people around her are smart. I want to help in every way possible.
THR: YOU'VE TOLD CBS NEWS AND SPORTS PRESIDENT SEAN MCMANUS THAT YOU WON'T RETIRE ON YOUR 70TH BIRTHDAY, FEB. 25, LIKE YOU PREVIOUSLY PLANNED. WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND?
Schieffer: Sean McManus asked me to stay until 2008, to the (presidential) election of 2008. That's my plan, but when we worked this out, I told Sean, "If you want me to stay, I want to stay," and that's what I want to do, but on my 70th birthday, I want to just review the bidding, and he said fine. So we'll revisit that. But right now, my plans and Sean McManus' plans are for me to be there until 2008.
THR: ARE YOU GOING TO MISS THE JOB ON "EVENING NEWS?"
Schieffer: Yes, I am. It's been this great adventure. I've done a lot of things and been a lot of places in my life and in my career, but this may be the No. 1 most unexpected thing that has ever happened to me and, in some ways, the greatest adventure I've ever been on.
THR: WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Schieffer: Some days we figured out a better way to do things, and some days we didn't, but what I am proudest of are these correspondents we've developed and gave a chance and made a place on the broadcasts: Lara Logan, Lee Cowan, Trish Regan, Sharon Alfonsi, Byron Pitts. These are the people you're going to hear about around here for the next 10 years or so. I feel very proud of that. THR: ANY REGRETS?
Schieffer: I really wanted to go to the Middle East for this war. Basically, because of some misunderstandings, I didn't get to go. . . . It was a chance to showcase Lara and Sharon, and I was certainly happy about that, but from a personal standpoint, I would have liked to have gone -- one more thing to see. But beyond that, everything about this has been fun.
THR: SO YOU'VE COME TO LIKE NEW YORK AFTER SO MANY YEARS IN WASHINGTON?
Schieffer: It's a great city; it's one of the great cities of the world, and the people here I find to be friendly. I exercise a lot. I get up at 6 and go for a walk every morning, and I go through (Central Park), and you come to see the same people, people out with their dogs. . . . People say New Yorkers are unfriendly, but I'm not sure I believe that anymore. They were very welcoming to me. It's the last city of distinctive neighborhoods. If you hang out in the neighborhoods, they get to know you. . . . I'll always love Washington because that's where my kids grew up, but I came to enjoy New York.
THR: WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR CBS AFTER YOU GO BACK TO WASHINGTON AND ANCHORING "FACE THE NATION?" WILL YOU WRITE A BOOK?
Schieffer: I may or may not, probably not if I stay in this role (on "Face the Nation" and doing commentaries for "CBS Evening News"). I've done work on that book, but I just don't think I can do it and write two commentaries a week and do "Face the Nation" and do analysis for the evening news. I write one commentary for "Face the Nation" on Sundays, and we're going to add another one Wednesdays for the "Evening News."
THR: AND YOUR MUSICAL CAREER? I'M TOLD THAT CBS NEWS WRITER JEAN BRATMAN HAS TURNED A HANDFUL OF YOUR SONGS INTO A DEMO TAPE THAT IS BEING SHOPPED AROUND IN NASHVILLE RIGHT NOW.
Schieffer: I'm really serious about writing songs. They're love songs, with a country-bluesy kind of feel. It's something I do for fun, like some people like to drive race cars or play golf. It's the same way if you play golf, they always say that golf is like a love affair: It's no fun if you take it seriously, and if you take it seriously, it'll break your heart. It's the same way with this. I'm serious about it. It's fun. We'll see what happens, but I'm trying to get someone to record them.
Adios go***mn goodbye m***erfu***r!
But how do you really feel about him?
lol ;-)
Never heard of any of 'em!
I'm glad to see this sucker go away. He admitted that he lied when it suited the "story" he was trying to tell. Go away and sooner is better.
Good riddance.
Photos I'd like to post would violate many rules
$10 Million dollars worth of advertising lipstick to dress up this sow.
He'll be missed (not).
Wow, hard-hitting questions, huh?
This ought to be goos they already doctored her waist line. Wonder how they will try to make her look good now !
I think cutey Katie will crash and burn like Dan what's-his-face did. The current anchor, B.S.(apropos initials don't you think?) is a jerkwater lib, and will not be missed by anyone I know. In fact, I don't want him to write when he finds work!
Allow me to help Schieffer:
HOW DO YOU THINK KATIE'S GOING TO DO WHEN SHE TAKES OVER THE ANCHOR CHAIR NEXT WEEK?
I think she is going to SUCK. Like she has always sucked.
I think CBS has lost their friggin minds. The only way they could have done worse was to Hire hanoi Jane Fonda.
In a way they did , they both think alike.
A lifelong second banana whose BS plain-spoken-Texan act was done to death by his bete noire Dan Rather. Rather could manage a day or two without mentioning JFK in Dallas but Schieffer seemed to wax nostalgic about JFK and the 60s every single day.
His performances, questions and general demeanor on Face The Nation are embarrassing for him, the guests and the audience especially since the Clinton scandals and 9/11.
Bob Schieffer:Katie's got all the tools. I think she's going to do a terrific job. She clearly has an enormous________________."
(Fill in the blank)
CBS IN CHEAPSKATE REVENGE
CBS is getting even with NBC for plastering two, four-story-tall billboards featuring newsman Brian Williams' kisser and the "Today" show crew outside CBS' West 57th Street studio where Katie Couric debuts next month - but they're doing it on the cheap. Instead of erecting a similar giant banner with Couric's beaming face outside NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Center, CBS has settled for small posters of the perky newsgal on the walls of the subway station underneath 30 Rock - most of them in easy reach of graffiti vandals. "That's how cheap CBS is - they can't put up a billboard to trumpet their new evening news talent," one media observer snickered. NBC isn't too concerned at its rival's payback. An NBC insider even hinted there could be trouble ahead for the Couric ads, quipping, "It's pretty hard to reach a 15-foot Brian Williams, Matt [Lauer], Meredith [Vieira], Al [Roker] or Ann [Curry] with a Sharpie!" A CBS insider shot back, "We're happy with our underground campaign that will rattle NBC employees as they come to work each morning."
"And that old fart Cronkite's going to introduce her?" (spits tobacco juice) "I hope they keep his iron lung handy, the ancient bastard sounds like Darth Vader when he breathes, which isn't that often!"
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