"Newsroom culture clash" at CBS News

[AbrahamJSimpson]

You are assuming that people will be "given" jobs.

Yet again, you try to tell me what I assume. And yet again, you are incorrect about what I assume.

Some people make them happen by inserting themselves into the process and demonstrating a rapid and successful learning curve.

Name one who became the successful head of a network news operation in the modern era with no experience.

As an example, A person I hired as my secretary years ago became the general manager of the station some years after I had moved on... because she always tried to ask and learn about everything that went on.

She moved up and gained experience without assuming to know everything when, in fact, she did not?

She was amazingly intelligent and assertive, and learned on her own and of her own initiative.

Great. What does that have to do with the abject failure on display at CBS?

Your post assumes that someone has to have a mentor or be part of a program to succeed. There are many who have the needed skills and who make a place for themselves.

See above. Yet again, your bogus straw man about things never stated are wrong.

I've never found that someone, for example, could be taught to be a program director.
The ones that have been successful had the talent and learned the necessary trade skills on their own and created their own set of rules.

Learned on their own. Uh huh. With no experience and no mentors.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Learned on their own. Uh huh. With no experience and no mentors.

Don't you know? All of the most successful people did it entirely on their own! Bill Gates was just this poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks who made it big! Elon Musk personally engineers the Space X rocket motors! Who is John Galt?

Okay, that was maybe a bit sarcastic, but yeah...everyone had a leg-up at some point. Back in the late 90s, one of the hosts of the morning show I was producing said something nice about Dick Clark in an interview with one of the trades. Not long after, we got a "thank you" note that was clearly written by the man himself. Some time later I was going through the voicemails, and a message began with "hey guys, it's Dick Clark." He was looking to do a phoner for the American Music Awards, and (after staring at the phone and replaying the voicemail a few times) we called the number...figuring it would be a flunky on the other end.

Nope. It rang twice and the voice on the other end said "Hi, it's Dick!" Later that year, we found out that he was going to be in town for an event. We did talk to one of his people, who assured us that he didn't have time to do our show. He was booked from 6am to 10pm. Then he called back himself and told us he'd make room, and showed up a little after 5am. He did have his people around, but they were unobtrusive and we got away with every silly bit or goof we could. Near the end of our time, the host asked "why are you even doing this? We're just a morning show in Phoenix, and you're Dick Clark!"

He said that when he was starting out in the business, he reached out to his idol, Steve Allen (creator of The Tonight Show). Steve didn't blow him off, but instead they struck up a correspondence where he gave Dick advice and support, and showing up to do a show with some enthusiastic kids was his way of paying it forward.

 

[davideduardo]

Yet again, you try to tell me what I assume. And yet again, you are incorrect about what I assume.

From your statements, It is obvious that you believe most success comes from following the societal norms of finishing high school, going to college and working one's way up from there. I believe there is ample opportunity elsewhere, but it takes initiative and drive.

Name one who became the successful head of a network news operation in the modern era with no experience.

The director of the Radio 10 system in Argentina. He was an administrator for other businesses of the first owner, and was well trusted. The owner gave him guidance and the station became #1 with over 40% of the AM audience in Buenos Aires where there were about 20 news and talk stations on AM... two of them run by hundred-year-old newspapers.

She moved up and gained experience without assuming to know everything when, in fact, she did not?

She picked up the style I used to go from last to first in ratings and billings and improved on it. She did that in less than 3 years.

Great. What does that have to do with the abject failure on display at CBS?

CBS's biggest opportunity is to move on from failure by doing whatever the other networks do not do.

See above. Yet again, your bogus straw man about things never stated are wrong.

I have no idea what that means. Maybe I did not go to college enough.

Learned on their own. Uh huh. With no experience and no mentors.

The PDs I know that were most successful created their own "world" and were not taught to be PDs.

I was PD of my first owned station. My experience was as a bad jock and board op at a station with no revenue in Cleveland. I created what I envisioned would work.... in a country I had been in for just a few months, and was #1 immediately and profitable in 6 months. I know or have known a bunch of very successful PDs who, maybe, learned what not to do at other stations as a DJ or other employee but became PDs very much on their own.

You will also find that some of the great engineers of the 60's and 70's learned electronics from Popular Electronics and the like and by building stuff with parts from Olsen and Burstein & Applebee.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

You will also find that some of the great engineers of the 60's and 70's learned electronics from Popular Electronics and the like and by building stuff with parts from Olsen and Burstein & Applebee.

Okay, sure. Good for them. I do find it odd that you're going back to the 60s and 70s to prove your point that CBS News (and 60 Minutes in particular) is hopelessly outdated and is failing. You're kind of saying "well back in my day we did it this way" and that because you were successful back before the internet came around that you're uniquely qualified to tell people what new media should be? I'm struggling to find the relevance of a group of AM radio stations in Argentina has to the current situation with regards to media in today's world. And while Bari Weiss managed to finagle a lucrative sale of her "Free Press" platform, it doesn't mean she's qualified to be the Editor in Chief of the network news division she's taken over. Last time I checked, the ratings for her pet projects (Byron Allen and the revamped evening news) are tanking.

Just because someone has a "new" idea doesn't mean it's automatically a good one. Maybe Weiss will course correct and become the next media mogul, but so far, I'm not seeing it. As I've learned, the model of "move fast and break things" sounds cool on paper, but unless you have something that will replace the thing you just broke, it won't work out so well. To date, Weiss has been breaking things at a furious pace, but what's the replacement? Joe Rogan?

 

[Kent]

From your statements, It is obvious that you believe most success comes from following the societal norms of finishing high school, going to college and working one's way up from there.

The uber rich wouldn’t be paying the elite colleges to admit their kids if most success didn’t come that way. There may be opportunities other ways, but not many homeless people have Ivy League degrees.

Here's a personal example. My former sister-in-law has an aunt who married into a family that owned a trade school. When my former cousin-in-law graduated high school, did she attend the family business? Not on your life! She went to a four year university out of state.

 

[Steel Nerves]

But to assert it was somehow primarily, or even significantly related to his McCarthy reporting, reporting which, rightfully, brought widespread praise to CBS, is just sloppy and inaccurate.

I never said it had anything to do with McCarthy. If anything, it was probably Murrow's speech to the RTNDA that made Paley decide Murrow was no longer worth the aggravation.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

From your statements, It is obvious that you believe most success comes from following the societal norms of finishing high school, going to college and working one's way up from there.

Yet again, you do not know what i believe and set up false arguments. There is a world of difference between “there is only one path” and “wildly unqualified people shouldn’t be placed into positions far above their capabilities.”’

I believe there is ample opportunity elsewhere, but it takes initiative and drive.

Initiative and drive are not somehow an alternative to learning and progressing.

The director of the Radio 10 system in Argentina.

Oh good lord, ok, here we go.

He was an administrator for other businesses of the first owner, and was well trusted. The owner gave him guidance and the station became #1 with over 40% of the AM audience in Buenos Aires where there were about 20 news and talk stations on AM... two of them run by hundred-year-old newspapers.

So….he was paying attention to someone who knew the business at hand.

She picked up the style I used to go from last to first in ratings and billings and improved on it. She did that in less than 3 years.

Yay?

CBS's biggest opportunity is to move on from failure by doing whatever the other networks do not do.

This is patently absurd. The other networks don’t run a test pattern. They don’t have a kindergartner read the news. Maybe CBS should try those. I mean, it’s not what the other guys do, so it must be the right path.

As it is, they’ve chosen the path of bootlicking toadyism…and that is their biggest opportunity to crash and burn, which they are.

The PDs I know that were most successful created their own "world" and were not taught to be PDs.

But they were taught other skill sets.

I was PD of my first owned station.

We know. One person’s story is a charming anecdote, not universally applicable.

My experience was as a bad jock and board op at a station with no revenue in Cleveland. I created what I envisioned would work.... in a country I had been in for just a few months, and was #1 immediately and profitable in 6 months. I know or have known a bunch of very successful PDs who, maybe, learned what not to do at other stations as a DJ or other employee but became PDs very much on their own.

It isn’t “on your own.” People provide mentorship. They give advice. They teach, formally and informally. It’s a two way street.

You will also find that some of the great engineers of the 60's and 70's learned electronics from Popular Electronics and the like and by building stuff with parts from Olsen and Burstein & Applebee.

I’m sure I would. But it’s 2026 now, so maybe something a bit more relevant would be applicable.