About
"I always said yes when anybody asked me, 'Can you do that?' Even if I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to do, I would say, 'Yeah, I can do that.'"
In her three-hour interview, Marlene Sanders (1931-2015) speaks about growing up in Cleveland where she developed an early interest in theater. She discusses her move to New York City, where, after a series of odd jobs, she landed a job at WABD-TV. She talks about meeting Mike Wallace and being asked to work on his new show, Night Beat, which became a hit, and for which she served as associate producer. She chronicles her move to ABC News, where she became the second female correspondent, eventually anchoring a five-minute daytime news telecast as well as traveling to Vietnam in 1966 to cover the war. She details her history-making moments when anchor Ron Cochran came down with laryngitis and she was chosen to substitute for him, thus becoming the first woman to anchor an evening network newscast. Sanders then talks about her work as a producer of television documentaries for ABC in the 1970s. She details her switch to the executive suites when she was named vice president and director of TV documentaries for ABC News in 1976 — another first for a woman in television. She also discusses her subsequent move to CBS News where she served as a correspondent, producing and reporting for such series as CBS Reports and Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt. She discusses leaving CBS in 1987 and working as a host on various WNET-TV programs, teaching aspiring journalists, and co-authoring an autobiographical book on women in television news. She also speaks about her work at the Discovery Channel and serving as narrator on HBO's popular Autopsy series. She concludes her interview with remarks about the then-current state of women in television. B-roll includes career-spanning photos. Karen Herman conducted the interview in a joint venture with New York Women in Film & Television on May 4, 2006 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Marlene Sanders on being the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast (for one night)
Marlene Sanders on anchoring News With The Woman's Touch at ABC
Marlene Sanders on her proudest career achievement
Marlene Sanders on publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime" and her conclusions about women in broadcasting
Marlene Sanders on how she'd like to be remembered
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her childhood and early influences; on her early interest in theatre; on being a tomboy; on attending Ohio State for one year
On working at the Cleveland Playhouse; on moving to New York; on her recollections of the Hollywood Blacklist and the first time she saw television; on her first job in television, odd jobs in the theatre, and meeting Mike Wallace
On her initial duties at news shows at WABD-TV; on the number of women in television when she started; on becoming an anonymous theatre critic
On her involvement with Night Beat; on booking guests for the show and working with Mike Wallace; on John Wingate replacing Mike Wallace
Chapter 2
On guests she booked on Night Beat - Jack Kerouac, W.E.B. Du Bois and others; on the fate of WABD-TV; on her work on documentaries and public affairs programs; on becoming a working mom
On getting hired on P.M. East-P.M. West; on joining the Writers Guild; on working at WNEW radio and getting on-air experience
On covering JFK's funeral and the Cuban Missile Crisis for radio
On becoming a female correspondent at ABC News; on the state of ABC News; on her news style and on-camera appearance when anchoring daytime news
Chapter 3
On working with a teleprompter and preparing for newscasts at ABC; on stories she covered in the early 1960s; on covering Civil Rights
On working with Peter Jennings and Frank Reynolds; on other female journalists at the time; on getting recognized by people; on working with Elmer Lower and Av Westin; on going to work in docmentaries
On covering Vietnam
On appearing as an anchor on the ABC Evening News
Chapter 4
On being the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast (for one night) and later for three months; on more women entering the business and her role in the women's movement; on documentaries about women's rights
On ABC News Close-Up - the documentary division; on Av Westin replacing Tom Wolfe; on getting hired as VP/Director of Documentaries; on working with Roone Arledge and wanting to leave ABC
On her management style
On getting hired as a correspondent/producer for CBS News; on the atmosphere at CBS News; on her work at CBS Reports
Chapter 5
On working as a correspondent on Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt
On appearing on The Friday Night News Break; on her time at CBS - not as happy as her time at ABC
On working for Channel 13 when she left CBS; on the show Metro Week in Review and 13 Live; on her 4-year run with Channel 13 and then doing Profiles in Progress
On narrating documentaries like Dances With Death; on her work on Autopsy
On where she was on 9/11; on her proudest career achievement; on career regrets and changes in TV news over the years
On publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime" and her conclusions about women in broadcasting
Chapter 6
On how she stays informed about current events; on advice to aspiring journalists; on advice for women in broadcast journalism
On New York Women in Film & Television; on how she'd like to be remembered
B-roll of photos from her career
Shows
CBS News
Marlene Sanders getting hired as a correspondent/producer for CBS News; on the atmosphere at CBS News and differences between ABC and CBS News
CBS Reports
Marlene Sanders on her work at CBS Reports
Night Beat
Marlene Sanders on her involvement with Night Beat; on Mike Wallace developing his interview style
Marlene Sanders on some of the guests on Night Beat and the process for booking talent
Marlene Sanders on working with Mike Wallace on Night Beat
Marlene Sanders on guests she booked on Night Beat
P.M. East-P.M. West
Marlene Sanders on getting hired on P.M. East-P.M. West
Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt
Marlene Sanders on working as a correspondent on Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt
Marlene Sanders on favorite pieces she worked on for Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt; on working with Charles Kuralt
Topics
9/11
Marlene Sanders on where she was on 9/11
Advertising and Sponsorship
Marlene Sanders on the sponsor of WABD-TV news
Civil Rights Movement
Marlene Sanders on hearing Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech first-hand in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington
Historic Events and Social Change
Marlene Sanders on the number of women in television when she started
Marlene Sanders on covering JFK's assassination and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Marlene Sanders on hearing Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech first-hand in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington
Marlene Sanders on other female journalists when she came along
Marlene Sanders on being the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast (for one night) and later for three months; on more women entering the business
Marlene Sanders on her role in the women's movement
Marlene Sanders on where she was on 9/11
Marlene Sanders on publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime" and her conclusions about women in broadcasting
Marlene Sanders on advice for women in broadcast journalism
Hollywood Blacklist
Marlene Sanders on her recollections of the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Marlene Sanders on her recollections of the Hollywood Blacklist
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Marlene Sanders on covering JFK's assassination and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Lyndon B. Johnson
Marlene Sanders on co-anchoring LBJ's inauguration with Peter Jennings
Representation on Television
Marlene Sanders on the number of women in television when she started
Marlene Sanders on other female journalists when she came along
Marlene Sanders on being the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast (for one night) and later for three months; on more women entering the business
Marlene Sanders on her role in the women's movement
Marlene Sanders on publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime" and her conclusions about women in broadcasting
Marlene Sanders on advice for women in broadcast journalism
Television and the Presidency
Marlene Sanders on co-anchoring LBJ's inauguration with Peter Jennings
Television Industry
Marlene Sanders on her recollections of the Hollywood Blacklist
Marlene Sanders on the sponsor of WABD-TV news
Women
Marlene Sanders on the number of women in television when she started
Marlene Sanders on other female journalists when she came along
Marlene Sanders on being the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast (for one night) and later for three months; on more women entering the business
Marlene Sanders on her role in the women's movement
Marlene Sanders on publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime" and her conclusions about women in broadcasting
Marlene Sanders on advice for women in broadcast journalism
Professions
Producers
Marlene Sanders on her role as Associate Producer on Night Beat; on doing bookings for the show
Genres
News and Documentary
Marlene Sanders on her duties at news shows at WABD-TV
Marlene Sanders on working on Night Beat
Marlene Sanders on becoming a female correspondent at ABC News; on the state of ABC News; on her news style and on-camera appearance when anchoring daytime news
Marlene Sanders on guests she booked on Night Beat - Jack Kerouac, W.E.B. Du Bois and others; on the fate of WABD-TV; on her work on documentaries and public affairs programs; on becoming a working mom
Marlene Sanders on working for ABC News
Marlene Sanders on her work at ABC News (contd.)
Marlene Sanders on her work at CBS News
Marlene Sanders on working for ABC News, Channel 13, narrating documentaries, and publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime"
Marlene Sanders on advice for women in broadcast journalism
People
Roone Arledge
Marlene Sanders on working with Bill Sheehan and Roone Arledge
Pauline Frederick
Marlene Sanders on other female journalists
Betty Friedan
Marlene Sanders on her friendship with Betty Friedan
Lisa Howard
Marlene Sanders on Lisa Howard getting involved in a political campaign and Sanders taking over as news anchor on News With The Woman's Touch at ABC
Peter Jennings
Marlene Sanders on working with Peter Jennings at ABC
Lyndon B. Johnson
Marlene Sanders on co-anchoring LBJ's inauguration with Peter Jennings
Jack Kerouac
Marlene Sanders on guests she booked on Night Beat - Jack Kerouac
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Marlene Sanders on hearing Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech first-hand in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington
Charles Kuralt
Marlene Sanders on her interactions with Charles Kuralt on Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt
Elmer Lower
Marlene Sanders on working with Elmer Lower, President of ABC News, and Av Westin, and feeling discriminated against
Marlene Sanders on Elmer Lower and Tom Wolfe screening her documentaries about women's rights
Frank Reynolds
Marlene Sanders on working with Frank Reynolds at ABC
Bill Sheehan
Marlene Sanders on Bill Sheehan as head of the news department, and Sanders getting hired as VP/Director of Documentaries
Marlene Sanders on working with Bill Sheehan and Roone Arledge
Elaine Stritch
Marlene Sanders on guests she booked on Night Beat - Elaine Stritch
W. E. B. Du Bois
Marlene Sanders on guests she booked on Night Beat - W.E.B. Du Bois
Mike Wallace
Marlene Sanders on her odd jobs while working at a theatre - picking up Mike Wallace
Marlene Sanders on her involvement with Night Beat; on Mike Wallace developing his interview style
Marlene Sanders on working with Mike Wallace and John Wingate on Night Beat
Av Westin
Marlene Sanders on working with Elmer Lower, President of ABC News, and Av Westin, and feeling discriminated against
Marlene Sanders on Av Westin replacing Tom Wolfe
William Carlos Williams
Marlene Sanders on guests she booked on Night Beat - William Carlos Williams
Tom Wolfe
Marlene Sanders on Elmer Lower and Tom Wolfe screening her documentaries about women's rights
Marlene Sanders on Av Westin replacing Tom Wolfe
Ted Yates
Marlene Sanders on her odd jobs while working at a theatre - picking up Mike Wallace and meeting Ted Yates through Wallace
Marlene Sanders on working with Ted Yates and Mike Wallace on Night Beat