Linda Ellerbee

Journalist

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

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.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"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."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Linda Ellerbee on being fired from the Associated Press

04:22

Linda Ellerbee on going to work as a reporter for WCBS News in New York City

04:20

Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight, and on what made the show special

04:47

Linda Ellerbee on the popularity and cult following of NBC News Overnight

03:37

Linda Ellerbee on her long-running partnership with Nickelodeon, and on Nick News covering controversial topics

05:30

Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11

02:37

Full Interview

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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

05:26

Ellen

Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88 directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale

01:13

Murphy Brown

Linda Ellerbee on Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show

03:54

NBC News

Linda Ellerbee on being hired by NBC News to cover Congress

07:39

Linda Ellerbee on covering the 1976 Democratic convention for NBC News

03:36

Linda Ellerbee on covering the royal wedding of Charles and Diana for NBC News

03:46

NBC News Overnight

Linda Ellerbee on the enduring popularity of NBC News Overnight

02:37

Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight, and on what made the show special

04:47

Linda Ellerbee on the popularity and cult following of NBC News Overnight

03:37

Nick News

Linda Ellerbee on the genesis of Nick News, and on the mission of the show

10:12

Linda Ellerbee on how she went about reporting stories for kids on Nick News

04:55

Linda Ellerbee on the target age range for Nick News

01:37

Linda Ellerbee on her long-running partnership with Nickelodeon, and on Nick News covering controversial topics

05:30

Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News brand

00:29

Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News team

03:38

Linda Ellerbee on the format of Nick News

02:40

Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11

02:37

Linda Ellerbee on the feedback she receives about Nick News

02:09

Summer Sunday U.S.A.

Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring the disastrous Summer Sunday U.S.A.

06:14

Tanner '88

Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale

01:13

Today

Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Today for one week

02:32

Weekend

Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Weekend with Lloyd Dobbins

01:32

Topics

9/11

Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11

02:37

Characters & Catchphrases

Linda Ellerbee on her sign off, "And so it goes," and on the name of her production company, Lucky Duck

03:27

Creative Influences and Inspiration

Linda Ellerbee on gaining the courage to try to be a writer from her teacher Mabel Scott

04:52

Fame and Celebrity

Linda Ellerbee on becoming a minor celebrity in Houston, and how she has dealt with celebrity in her career

02:42

Historic Events and Social Change

Linda Ellerbee on covering the return of the American hostages from Iran in 1981

05:30

Linda Ellerbee on how things have changed for women in television over the years

04:42

Linda Ellerbee on the Nick News coverage of 9/11

02:37

Iran Hostage Crisis

Linda Ellerbee on covering the return of the American hostages from Iran in 1981

05:30

New Media

Linda Ellerbee on how the internet impacted the way she works

01:11

Pivotal Career Moments

Linda Ellerbee on gaining the courage to try to be a writer from her teacher Mabel Scott

04:52

Pop Culture

Linda Ellerbee on becoming a minor celebrity in Houston, and how she has dealt with celebrity in her career

02:42

Linda Ellerbee on her sign off, "And so it goes," and on the name of her production company, Lucky Duck

03:27

Representation on Television

Linda Ellerbee on how things have changed for women in television news over the years

04:42

Television Industry

Linda Ellerbee on what she feels is the problem with television news

04:10

Linda Ellerbee on the how television news became a business in part due to 60 Minutes

05:26

Linda Ellerbee on how the internet impacted the way she works

01:11

Linda Ellerbee on the power of television

01:08

Women

Linda Ellerbee on how things have changed for women in television news over the years

04:42

Professions

Journalists & News Producers

View Profession

Linda Ellerbee on advice to aspiring journalists and news producers

00:38

Producers

View Profession

Linda Ellerbee on what she enjoys about producing and executive producing

00:57

Genres

Comedy Series

Linda Ellerbee on Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show

03:54

Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale

01:13

Commercials

Linda Ellerbee on starting her production company, Lucky Duck Productions, and on her Maxwell House commercials

04:18

News and Documentary

Linda Ellerbee on the enduring popularity of NBC News Overnight

02:37

Linda Ellerbee on being hired by NBC News to cover congress

16:42

Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Today for one week

02:31

Linda Ellerbee on co-hosting Weekend with Lloyd Dobyns

01:33

Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring NBC News Overnight

08:27

Linda Ellerbee on co-anchoring Summer Sunday

05:34

Linda Ellerbee and hosting and producing Nick News

35:08

People

Diane English

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Linda Ellerbee on Diane English basing Murphy Brown on Linda Ellerbee, and on appearing on the show

03:54

Jessica Savitch

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Linda Ellerbee on her first television news job, at KHOU in Houston replacing Jessica Savitch, and on advice from her mentor, Reuven Frank

04:09

Reuven Frank

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Linda Ellerbee on advice from her mentor, Reuven Frank

01:07

Robert Altman

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Linda Ellerbee on appearing on Tanner '88, directed by Robert Altman, and on appearing on the Ellen finale

01:13

Steven Spielberg

View Person Page

Linda Ellerbee on interviewing Steven Spielberg for her first story when she was working for KHOU in Houston

01:32