West 57th (TV series)
Encyclopedia
West 57th was a newsmagazine
series which aired on CBS
from August 13, 1985, through September 9, 1989. Thought by Don Hewitt to be the younger rival of 60 Minutes
, he campaigned internally against the show. West 57th originally premiered as a summer series, and took its name from the New York
address of the CBS Broadcast Center. The original correspondents were Jane Wallace
, Bob Sirott
, Meredith Vieira
, and John Ferrugia
. Later contributors included Steve Kroft
, Selina Scott
, Karen Burnes, and Stephen Schiff
.
The style of the program was intended to use the contemporary tools of television to tell compelling stories. The show's popularity, a concern for Hewitt, prompted 60 Minutes
pundit Andy Rooney to dedicate one of his closing segments on his program to a parody of West 57th correspondents. There was a celebration by the "West 57th" team and its producers because the show had received recognition and publicity from the popular Rooney who was trying to kill their program. A major concern for Hewitt was the rising star within CBS of "West 57th"'s executive producer Andrew Lack.
Hewitt and internal critics of the program prevailed in 1989 when CBS canceled West 57th, despite its profitablility. According to Peter Boyer
in his book Who Killed CBS?, Dan Rather
was obsessed with having enough resources for the CBS Evening News
. He was upset when his star reporters, Jane Wallace and Meredith Vieira, were recruited to join West 57th. After the cancellation, the show was replaced by the short-lived Saturday Night with Connie Chung
. Vieira and fellow correspondent Steve Kroft transferred to 60 Minutes, where Kroft currently remains. Vieira went on to anchor NBC
's Today Show. Sirott moved to Chicago
to continue a successful career in local TV and radio
. John Ferrugia moved to Denver, where he is an award-winning investigative reporter for KMGH-TV
.
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...
series which aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from August 13, 1985, through September 9, 1989. Thought by Don Hewitt to be the younger rival of 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....
, he campaigned internally against the show. West 57th originally premiered as a summer series, and took its name from the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
address of the CBS Broadcast Center. The original correspondents were Jane Wallace
Jane Wallace
Jane Wallace is an American journalist. She was correspondent for CBS News as well as the news magazine West 57th.-References:...
, Bob Sirott
Bob Sirott
Robert Michael "Bob" Sirott , is a Chicago broadcaster who currently is one of the two principal news anchors at WFLD-TV in Chicago and is a radio host at WGN-AM.- Early life and education :...
, Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
, and John Ferrugia
John Ferrugia
John Ferrugia, Investigative Reporter/ News Anchor has worked at KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado since 1992. He is a former CBS News correspondent who, in the 1980’s, covered the White House; foreign and domestic assignments; and was a principal correspondent for the news magazine “West 57th”.-Early...
. Later contributors included Steve Kroft
Steve Kroft
Steve Kroft is an American journalist and a longtime correspondent for 60 Minutes. His investigative reporting has garnered him much acclaim, including three Peabody Awards and nine Emmy awards, one of which was an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement.-Early life:Born on August 22, 1945 in Kokomo,...
, Selina Scott
Selina Scott
Selina Scott is a British newsreader, journalist, television producer and presenter.- Background and early life :Scott was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire in 1951, the eldest of five children...
, Karen Burnes, and Stephen Schiff
Stephen Schiff
Stephen Schiff is an American screenwriter and journalist. He grew up in Littleton, Colorado and began his writing career at The Boston Phoenix, where he became the chief film critic and film editor , and hired and trained such critics as Owen Gleiberman and David Edelstein.In 1983, he was a...
.
The style of the program was intended to use the contemporary tools of television to tell compelling stories. The show's popularity, a concern for Hewitt, prompted 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....
pundit Andy Rooney to dedicate one of his closing segments on his program to a parody of West 57th correspondents. There was a celebration by the "West 57th" team and its producers because the show had received recognition and publicity from the popular Rooney who was trying to kill their program. A major concern for Hewitt was the rising star within CBS of "West 57th"'s executive producer Andrew Lack.
Hewitt and internal critics of the program prevailed in 1989 when CBS canceled West 57th, despite its profitablility. According to Peter Boyer
Peter Boyer
Peter Boyer is an American composer, conductor, and professor of music. He is known primarily for his orchestral works, which have received over 250 performances, by more than 90 orchestras....
in his book Who Killed CBS?, Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
was obsessed with having enough resources for the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
. He was upset when his star reporters, Jane Wallace and Meredith Vieira, were recruited to join West 57th. After the cancellation, the show was replaced by the short-lived Saturday Night with Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
. Vieira and fellow correspondent Steve Kroft transferred to 60 Minutes, where Kroft currently remains. Vieira went on to anchor NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today Show. Sirott moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to continue a successful career in local TV and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. John Ferrugia moved to Denver, where he is an award-winning investigative reporter for KMGH-TV
KMGH-TV
KMGH-TV, channel 7, is the ABC-affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado. The station itself is usually branded as "Denver's 7", but its newscasts are branded as "7 News". It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter located in Golden, Colorado...
.
External links, video
- John Mellencamp West 57th interview (1987), via YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZAB1riPcF8&NR=1 Crosby Stills Nash "West 57the interview John Ferrugia, via YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQKA4QJCYR8&feature=related Steven Stills "West 57th interview John Ferrugia, via YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....