CBS Reports


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About

From Wikipedia:

CBS Reports is the umbrella title used for documentaries by CBS News which aired starting in 1959 through the 1990s. The series sometimes aired as a wheel series rotating with 60 Minutes (or other similar CBS News series), as a series of its own or as specials. The program aired as a constant series from 1959 to 1971. Notable episodes include "Harvest of Shame", a Peabody Award-winning examination of migrant workers in the United States, and "CBS Reports: The Homosexuals", the first time homosexuality was presented on a national network broadcast. "The Homosexuals" has been heavily criticized for promoting a negative view of gay Americans.

The "CBS Reports" banner was brought back into use in 2009, with the series "CBS Reports: Children of the Recession." Instead of being a stand-alone documentary, the new incarnation consisted of reports across all CBS News platforms. Katie Couric led coverage. The series of reports won the a Columbia School of Journalism Alfred DuPont Award.

In January 2010, a second Couric-led series aired, "CBS Reports: Where America Stands."

A portion of the traditional American religious song Simple Gifts (specifically, in the early years of the series, as adapted by American classical composer Aaron Copland for his ballet Appalachian Spring) is used as the CBS Reports theme music.

CBS Reports premiered on October 27, 1959. It was intended to be a successor to Edward R. Murrow's influential See It Now, which had ended 15 months prior, and employed several members of the See It Now production staff. For the remainder of 1959 and through 1960, CBS Reports was broadcast on an irregular basis as a series of specials.

The network gave CBS Reports a regular primetime slot in January 1961, at 10 p.m. (EST) on Thursdays. That placed it against two "tremendously popular" established shows, The Untouchables on ABC and Sing Along With Mitch on NBC. Consequently, CBS Reports was pre-empted by a high number of CBS affiliates that aired local programming in its timeslot.

When the networks announced their Fall 1962 schedules, Sing Along With Mitch and The Untouchables had been moved from the Thursday 10 p.m. timeslot. However, CBS also decided to move CBS Reports to Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (EST), explaining that "the earlier hour will permit more young people to watch the program." But that move again put the program up against two "consistent rating leaders," The Virginian on NBC and Wagon Train on ABC.

CBS Reports continued to lead the network's Wednesday primetime line-up until Fall 1965, when the network placed Lost In Space in the 7:30 p.m. Wednesday timeslot and moved CBS Reports to Tuesday at 10 p.m., opposite The Fugitive on ABC and NBC's Tuesday Night at the Movies.

Highlights
Ed Bradley on what was among the first stories for CBS Reports: the Vietnam refugees known as "boat people"
01:15
Mili Lerner Bonsignori on memorable episodes of CBS Reports
05:08
Robert Trout on CBS Reports
03:47
Dan Rather on CBS Reports
09:08
Who talked about this show

Wade Bingham

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Wade Bingham on shooting the CBS News series CBS Reports with anchor Edward R. Murrow and producer Fred Friendly
09:58
Wade Bingham on shooting CBS Reports episode "Showdown on the Congo"
03:15
Wade Bingham on the CBS Reports episodes "The Poisoned Air" and "The Eric Hoffer Story"
03:52
Wade Bingham on the CBS Reports story "The Mexican Connection"
07:44
Wade Bingham on the second part of the CBS Reports "Mexican Connection" story
06:26

Mili Lerner Bonsignori

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Mili Lerner Bonsignori on editing "Hunger in America" for CBS Reports
00:52
Mili Lerner Bonsignori on trying to hire women on CBS Reports
01:05
Mili Lerner Bonsignori on being asked to edit CBS Reports
00:31
Mili Lerner Bonsignori on the content and format of CBS Reports
03:04
Mili Lerner Bonsignori on memorable episodes of CBS Reports
05:08

Ed Bradley

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Ed Bradley on what was among the first stories for CBS Reports: the Vietnam refugees known as "boat people"
01:15
Ed Bradley on becoming the host for CBS Reports, and his first brush with 60 Minutes
01:26
Ed Bradley on recognizing the reach of 60 Minutes after Don Hewitt excerpted a segment from CBS Reports and adapted it for 60 Minutes
02:32

Dan Rather

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Dan Rather on CBS Reports
09:08

Marlene Sanders

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Marlene Sanders on her work at CBS Reports
00:46

Frank Stanton

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Frank Stanton on broadcasting and the first amendment, and how it related to CBS Reports: "The Selling of the Pentagon"
06:55
Frank Stanton on the controversial CBS Reports: The Selling of the Pentagon in which he personally faced contempt charges
08:13
Frank Stanton on CBS Reports: The Selling of the Pentagon
02:51

Robert Trout

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Robert Trout on CBS Reports
03:47

Av Westin

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Av Westin on producing CBS Reports and other documentaries for CBS News
03:09

Perry Wolff

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Perry Wolff on executive producing "The Selling of the Pentagon" for CBS Reports
10:33

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