Robert Chandler (network executive)
Encyclopedia
Robert Chandler was an American
television executive who helped create and oversee the television newsmagazine
60 Minutes
during his 22-year tenure at CBS News
.
He was born Robert Zuckerkandle in Brooklyn
, New York
on September 25, 1928, one of two sons of Louis and Minnie Gurin Zuckerkandle. Chandler was used by him as a pen name
before he had his name legally changed. He attended the City College of New York
, where he was the editor of the college newspaper and met his future wife, the former Eleanor Reiff. He graduated from CCNY in 1949 with a degree in economics.
Chandler was hired by Variety
as a music reporter, where he worked for several years, interrupted by service in the United States Army
in Germany from 1951 to 1953, after which he covered radio and television upon his return. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
hired him in 1961 to serve as publicity director for its television division.
In 1963, Chandler was hired by CBS News as its director of information services. He later served as vice president in charge of public affairs broadcasts, where he was an advocate of implementing Don Hewitt
's proposed 60 Minutes format, in which several standalone segments would be broadcast rather than the standard documentary format in which the same subject was covered for the entire hour. The first broadcast of 60 Minutes was on September 24, 1968. During the 1970s, Chandler approved the program's stories and finances, and helped bring Andy Rooney to the program. Don Hewitt credited Chandler for his role in the program, stating that "In my more than half a century at CBS News, I don't recall anyone having a better fix on what 60 Minutes should be than Bob Chandler". Chandler was named vice president for administration and assistant to the president of CBS News in 1975.
While with CBS News, he was responsible for production of The People of South Vietnam: How They Feel About the War, a March 1967 documentary that he wrote and co-produced; 1966 National Driver’s Test in May 1966, for which he was executive producer; and the December 1971 Emmy Award
-nominated CBS Reports: Under Surveillance on U.S. government surveillance of dissenters, which he produced.
As director of operations for the CBS News Election Unit, Chandler was one of the creators of the CBS News Poll, which became the New York Times
-CBS News Poll after a partner ship was established with the newspaper in 1976. Chandler retired from the CBS network in 1985. in his role with the News Election Unit, Chandler served as the CBS News member of the Board of Managers of the News Election Service, a joint organization of network and wire services that jointly monitored election results in the 1968 United States Presidential Election
. He was co-executive producer of CBS News election night coverage in 1970 and 1972, and supervised the CBS News 1974 election night coverage in 1974.
He later worked for NBC News
and was executive producer of the 1990 PBS documentary Learning in America: Schools That Work.
Chandler died at age 80 on December 11, 2008 of heart failure at his home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television executive who helped create and oversee the television newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
during his 22-year tenure at CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
.
He was born Robert Zuckerkandle in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on September 25, 1928, one of two sons of Louis and Minnie Gurin Zuckerkandle. Chandler was used by him as a pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
before he had his name legally changed. He attended the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
, where he was the editor of the college newspaper and met his future wife, the former Eleanor Reiff. He graduated from CCNY in 1949 with a degree in economics.
Chandler was hired by Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
as a music reporter, where he worked for several years, interrupted by service in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in Germany from 1951 to 1953, after which he covered radio and television upon his return. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
hired him in 1961 to serve as publicity director for its television division.
In 1963, Chandler was hired by CBS News as its director of information services. He later served as vice president in charge of public affairs broadcasts, where he was an advocate of implementing Don Hewitt
Don Hewitt
Donald Shepard "Don" Hewitt was an American television news producer and executive, best known for creating 60 Minutes, the CBS television news magazine, in 1968, which at the time of his death, was the longest-running prime-time broadcast on American television...
's proposed 60 Minutes format, in which several standalone segments would be broadcast rather than the standard documentary format in which the same subject was covered for the entire hour. The first broadcast of 60 Minutes was on September 24, 1968. During the 1970s, Chandler approved the program's stories and finances, and helped bring Andy Rooney to the program. Don Hewitt credited Chandler for his role in the program, stating that "In my more than half a century at CBS News, I don't recall anyone having a better fix on what 60 Minutes should be than Bob Chandler". Chandler was named vice president for administration and assistant to the president of CBS News in 1975.
While with CBS News, he was responsible for production of The People of South Vietnam: How They Feel About the War, a March 1967 documentary that he wrote and co-produced; 1966 National Driver’s Test in May 1966, for which he was executive producer; and the December 1971 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-nominated CBS Reports: Under Surveillance on U.S. government surveillance of dissenters, which he produced.
As director of operations for the CBS News Election Unit, Chandler was one of the creators of the CBS News Poll, which became the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
-CBS News Poll after a partner ship was established with the newspaper in 1976. Chandler retired from the CBS network in 1985. in his role with the News Election Unit, Chandler served as the CBS News member of the Board of Managers of the News Election Service, a joint organization of network and wire services that jointly monitored election results in the 1968 United States Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
. He was co-executive producer of CBS News election night coverage in 1970 and 1972, and supervised the CBS News 1974 election night coverage in 1974.
He later worked for NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
and was executive producer of the 1990 PBS documentary Learning in America: Schools That Work.
Chandler died at age 80 on December 11, 2008 of heart failure at his home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
.