About
"Even at age 10 it was fairly clear to me that if the Soviet Union dropped a hydrogen bomb on us, climbing under my little wooden desk and putting my hands over my head wasn't going to help. I spent a lot of time afraid of what's going to happen because I would see these images on television of Khrushchev pounding his shoe at the UN and the tests of the bombs that were being conducted, and I would go to bed terrified. No one talked to me about this. My parents didn't talk to me about what I was watching, my school didn't talk to me, no one in the church talked to me, certainly no one on television addressed my fears as a kid of the news that I was seeing. Don't you think I didn't think about that years later when we went to start Nick News."
In her three-hour interview, Linda Ellerbee talks about starting out as a writer before transitioning to being an on-air correspondent in local news. She discusses moving to network television and working on programs including Weekend and The NBC Nightly News. She recalls co-hosting NBC News Overnight, which gained a massive cult following, and solidified her persona with the American public. Ellerbee talks about guest starring on Murphy Brown, which Diane English based on Ellerbee's life, and the finale of Ellen. She then discusses the formation of her production company, Lucky Duck Productions, and its keystone news series for kids, Nick News. Throughout the interview, Ellerbee discusses the state of the news industry as well as her philosophy of how news should be covered on television. Karen Herman conducted the interview on June 9, 2010 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Linda Ellerbee on being fired from the Associated Press
Linda Ellerbee on going to work as a reporter for WCBS News in New York City
Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight, and on what made the show special
Linda Ellerbee on the popularity and cult following of NBC News Overnight
Linda Ellerbee on her long-running partnership with Nickelodeon, and on Nick News covering controversial topics
Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on being interested in current events as a child
On becoming a writer; on gaining the courage to try to be a writer from her teacher Mabel Scott; on being an editorial cartoonist for her college newspaper
On her first professional job, at the Associated Press broadcast wire; on being fired from the Associated Press; on being hired by the CBS affiliate in Houston, Texas
On her first television news job, at KHOU in Houston, replacing Jessica Savitch; on her the kinds of stories she covered at KHOU; on learning on the job at KHOU
On the biggest story she covered while at KHOU: serial killer Dean Corll; on becoming a minor celebrity in Houston, and how she has dealt with celebrity in her career
On the enduring popularity of NBC News Overnight; on going to work as a reporter for WCBS News in New York City
Chapter 2
On her stint as the hard news reporter at WCBS News in New York City; on retaining her Texas accent; on being hired by NBC News to cover Congress
On covering the 1976 Democratic convention for NBC News; on covering the return of the American hostages from Iran in 1981; on co-hosting Today for one week
On co-hosting Weekend with Lloyd Dobyns; on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight, and on what made the show special; on the popularity and cult following of NBC News Overnight
On what she feels is the problem with television news; on how television news became a business, in part due to 60 Minutes; on co-anchoring Summer Sunday
On Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show; on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale; on starting her production company, Lucky Duck Productions, and on her Maxwell House commercials
Chapter 3
On covering the royal wedding of Charles and Diana for NBC News; on the genesis of Nick News, and on the mission of the show
On how she went about reporting stories for kids on Nick News; on the age range for Nick News; on her long running partnership with Nickelodeon, and on Nick News covering controversial topics
On the Nick News brand; on the Nick News team; on the Nick News coverage of 9/11
On the feedback she receives about Nick News; on how the internet impacted the way she works; on then-current projects
On what she enjoys about producing and executive producing; on not wanting to retire; on her sign off, "And so it goes," and on the name of her production company, Lucky Duck
On how the role of women in television news has changed over time; on the power of television
On advice to aspiring journalists and news producers; on career highlights, regrets, and how she would like to be remembered
Shows
60 Minutes
Linda Ellerbee on the how television news became a business, in part due to 60 Minutes
Ellen
Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88 directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale
Murphy Brown
Linda Ellerbee on Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show
NBC News
Linda Ellerbee on being hired by NBC News to cover Congress
Linda Ellerbee on covering the 1976 Democratic convention for NBC News
Linda Ellerbee on covering the royal wedding of Charles and Diana for NBC News
NBC News Overnight
Linda Ellerbee on the enduring popularity of NBC News Overnight
Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight, and on what made the show special
Linda Ellerbee on the popularity and cult following of NBC News Overnight
Nick News
Linda Ellerbee on the genesis of Nick News, and on the mission of the show
Linda Ellerbee on how she went about reporting stories for kids on Nick News
Linda Ellerbee on the target age range for Nick News
Linda Ellerbee on her long-running partnership with Nickelodeon, and on Nick News covering controversial topics
Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News brand
Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News team
Linda Ellerbee on the format of Nick News
Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11
Linda Ellerbee on the feedback she receives about Nick News
Summer Sunday U.S.A.
Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring the disastrous Summer Sunday U.S.A.
Tanner '88
Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale
Today
Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Today for one week
Weekend
Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Weekend with Lloyd Dobbins
Topics
9/11
Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11
Characters & Catchphrases
Linda Ellerbee on her sign off, "And so it goes," and on the name of her production company, Lucky Duck
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Linda Ellerbee on gaining the courage to try to be a writer from her teacher Mabel Scott
Fame and Celebrity
Linda Ellerbee on becoming a minor celebrity in Houston, and how she has dealt with celebrity in her career
Historic Events and Social Change
Linda Ellerbee on covering the return of the American hostages from Iran in 1981
Linda Ellerbee on how things have changed for women in television over the years
Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11
Iran Hostage Crisis
Linda Ellerbee on covering the return of the American hostages from Iran in 1981
New Media
Linda Ellerbee on how the internet impacted the way she works
Pivotal Career Moments
Linda Ellerbee on gaining the courage to try to be a writer from her teacher Mabel Scott
Pop Culture
Linda Ellerbee on becoming a minor celebrity in Houston, and how she has dealt with celebrity in her career
Linda Ellerbee on her sign off, "And so it goes," and on the name of her production company, Lucky Duck
Representation on Television
Linda Ellerbee on how things have changed for women in television news over the years
Television Industry
Linda Ellerbee on what she feels is the problem with television news
Linda Ellerbee on the how television news became a business in part due to 60 Minutes
Linda Ellerbee on how the internet impacted the way she works
Linda Ellerbee on the power of television
Women
Linda Ellerbee on how things have changed for women in television news over the years
Professions
Journalists & News Producers
Linda Ellerbee on advice to aspiring journalists and news producers
Producers
Linda Ellerbee on what she enjoys about producing and executive producing
Genres
Comedy Series
Linda Ellerbee on Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show
Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale
Commercials
Linda Ellerbee on starting her production company, Lucky Duck Productions, and on her Maxwell House commercials
News and Documentary
Linda Ellerbee on the enduring popularity of NBC News Overnight
Linda Ellerbee on being hired by NBC News to cover congress
Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Today for one week
Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Weekend with Lloyd Dobyns
Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight
Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring Summer Sunday
Linda Ellerbee and hosting and producing Nick News
People
Robert Altman
Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale
Lloyd Dobyns
Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Weekend with Lloyd Dobyns
Diane English
Linda Ellerbee on Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show
Reuven Frank
Linda Ellerbee on advice from her mentor, Reuven Frank
Jessica Savitch
Linda Ellerbee on her first television news job, at KHOU in Houston replacing Jessica Savitch, and on advice from her mentor, Reuven Frank
Steven Spielberg
Linda Ellerbee on interviewing Steven Spielberg for her first story when she was working for KHOU in Houston