Exclusive: Pres. Bush On 60II
60 MINUTES II Correspondent Scott Pelley's exclusive interview with President George W. Bush will headline CBS News' coverage of the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Wednesday, Sept. 11. CBS News will mark the first anniversary of the attacks with comprehensive live coverage of the day's events, as well as an in-depth exploration of what happened that day and its long-term impact on the nation and the world. The coverage will be titled "9/11: The Day That Changed America."
First, on Sunday, Sept. 8, CBS News will present an expanded one-hour edition of FACE THE NATION (10:30-11:30 AM, ET), with Bob Schieffer in Washington, D.C., and contributing correspondent Gloria Borger reporting live from Ground Zero in New York.
Later that day, the CBS Television Network will broadcast an encore presentation of "9/11" (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), the acclaimed CBS Special seen by more than 39 million viewers when first broadcast in May.
Then, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, CBS News will begin its coverage at 7:00 AM, ET, with a special edition of THE EARLY SHOW. The broadcast will be extended until 12:00 Noon, ET, and will include live coverage of the many commemorative events taking place around the country. CBS News will also provide live coverage of additional events throughout the day, with details to be announced shortly.
Dan Rather, who anchored more than 58½ hours of CBS News' continuous coverage of the attacks a year earlier, will lead the day's coverage, including the commemorative ceremonies scheduled in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., that morning. The coverage will be anchored from the Ground Zero area in New York City.
Later that day, the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH DAN RATHER, anchored by Rather, will offer an expanded one-hour edition (6:30-7:30 PM, ET) with reports from CBS News correspondents around the country and the world who covered the attacks and the war on terrorism and have followed those stories ever since.
As part of a combined effort of the award-winning journalists of 60 MINUTES and 60 MINUTES II, CBS News' primetime coverage (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) will feature Pelley's exclusive interview with President Bush, scheduled to take place both aboard Air Force One and in the Oval Office. Bush and his closest advisors will offer an oral history of what happened immediately following the attacks, as well as provide their thoughts on the future of America and its place in the world. Other 60 MINUTES and 60 MINUTES II journalists will provide their signature, in-depth reporting on the stories and issues surrounding the 9/11 attacks, the wide-ranging consequences and what the post-9/11 world may be like.