About
"Ted [Turner] said, 'I want you to do a show. It can be variety, it can be comedy, I don't care. I'll pay you $100,000 a year to promise you'll never leave.' I said 'Of course, I'll do that. I won't leave.' I went back to the production director and said, 'What are we going to do now?' We had no clue what we were doing."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Bill Tush discusses his early interest in broadcasting which led to him becoming a disc jockey in Pittsburgh. He recounts his early years at WTCG, Ted Turner's then-local station in Atlanta, and describes his various announcing and production duties. He discusses anchoring a newscast at 3am to fulfill FCC requirements, which evolved into a parody news program - a forerunner of both Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" and The Daily Show. He outlines Ted Turner becoming a cable powerhouse by turning WTCG (later TBS) into a "Superstation" and creating CNN. He recalls his short-lived comedy show Tush, which launched the careers of Jan Hooks and Terry and Bonnie Turner, and speaks of his unsuccessful attempt at creating a sitcom for TBS. Tush details becoming a reporter for CNN, and later becoming an anchor and correspondent for Showbiz Today. He talks about his many years of covering entertainment and interviewing celebrities, and discusses how 9/11 led to the end of his career at CNN. Karen Herman conducted the interview on June 14, 2010 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Bill Tush on an early TV Guide article about "Superstation" WTCG
Bill Tush on the advent of CNN
Bill Tush on his relationship with Ted Turner
Bill Tush on creating the comedy series Tush
Bill Tush on the ground rules for interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his early radio career; on his early interest in television and his broadcast influences
On his morning radio show in Pittsburgh and his experience in the Army; on getting his first job in television at WTCG in Atlanta and meeting Ted Turner
On being hired to do news at WTCG in Atlanta; on an early TV Guide article about "Superstation" WTCG
On putting together his news parody show for WTCG
Chapter 2
On the uniqueness of his Channel 17 parody news program; on WTCG being beamed via satellite and becoming a "Superstation"; on doing a serious news program for WTCG and Dialing for Dollars
On the advent of CNN; on his relationship with Ted Turner; on creating the comedy series Tush
On creating a sitcom pilot for TBS and replacing Mike Douglas on People Now; on being a lifestyle reporter for CNN
On anchoring and reporting for CNN's Showbiz Today; on stories he covered for CNN's Showbiz Today; on interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Chapter 3
On the ground rules for interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today; on the culture of celebrity; on his favorite celebrity interviews
On September 11th ending his career at CNN; on his then-current activities; on the then-current state of entertainment news; on career highlights and regrets and advice to aspiring television personalities
Topics
9/11
Bill Tush on September 11th ending his career at CNN
Advice
Bill Tush on advice to aspiring television personalities
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Bill Tush on his broadcast influences
Fame and Celebrity
Bill Tush on interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Bill Tush on the culture of celebrity
Historic Events and Social Change
Bill Tush on September 11th ending his career at CNN
Network Creation
Bill Tush on an early TV Guide article about "Superstation" WTCG
Bill Tush on WTCG being beamed via satellite and becoming a "Superstation"
Bill Tush on the advent of CNN
Pivotal Career Moments
Bill Tush on his broadcast influences
Pop Culture
Bill Tush on interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Bill Tush on the culture of celebrity
Television Industry
Bill Tush on an early TV Guide article about "Superstation" WTCG
Bill Tush on WTCG being beamed via satellite and becoming a "Superstation"
Bill Tush on the advent of CNN
Bill Tush on advice to aspiring television personalities
Bill Tush on the then-current state of entertainment news
Professions
Hosts
Bill Tush on interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Bill Tush on advice to aspiring television personalities
Bill Tush on the ground rules for interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Interviewer
Bill Tush on interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Bill Tush on advice to aspiring television personalities
Bill Tush on the ground rules for interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Genres
News and Documentary
Bill Tush on anchoring and reporting for CNN's Showbiz Today; on stories he covered for CNN's Showbiz Today; on interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today
Bill Tush on the ground rules for interviewing celebrities for CNN's Showbiz Today; on the culture of celebrity; on his favorite celebrity interviews
People
Mike Douglas
Bill Tush on creating a sitcom pilot for TBS and replacing Mike Douglas on People Now
Ted Turner
Bill Tush on getting his first job in television and meeting Ted Turner
Bill Tush on his relationship with Ted Turner