Schieffer Hands Over The Anchor Desk

'CBS Evening News' Anchor Talks With Katie Couric About Life And Career

(CBS)  Before Bob Schieffer had the grand slam of Washington reporting jobs — working every beat inside the Beltway — before he started covering presidential conventions in 1972 and every one since, before he walked the White House grounds with the most powerful leader in the world, he covered a par two, 18th hole.

"Bob Schieffer, CBS News, at the National Put-Put Championship," he signed off that evening.

Back then, management didn't see Schieffer as anchor material. But he became the one CBS turned to in one of its darkest hours.

"Good evening, I'm Bob Schieffer. And tonight, we turn a page at CBS News," he said during his first broadcast as anchor of the CBS Evening News.

When Dan Rather stepped down 18 months ago following the National Guard document scandal, Schieffer, at age 68, became only the fourth solo anchor of the program.

Katie Couric, who becomes the anchor Sept. 5, spoke with Schieffer about the tough job he faced.

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Watch an extended version of the interview.

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"You really came in as the replacement quarterback, at a pretty difficult time for CBS News. It really was a difficult chapter," Couric said to her predecessor.

Schieffer agreed. "We were in a very hard place, Katie, a very hard place. And I said on the first broadcast, the first thing we have to do is get our credibility back."

And how does it feel to get so much attention and acclaim so late in his life?

"You want me to tell you a secret? I've really enjoyed it," Schieffer said.

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Schieffer spoke about his transition with Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith. Among other things, they chatted about Schieffer's aspirations to be a songwriter! Bob also donned a cowboy that Early Show staffers got him. To watch that interview, click here.

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Schieffer has been at CBS since he was 32, but started dressing for the job in the ninth grade, when he was occasionally seen wearing a bow tie. But he dropped the bow tie to become a beat reporter, covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and later, covering the Vietnam War for his hometown paper.

"Personally, I'm thrilled to death. I'm a newspaper reporter and this is the name of the game," Schieffer explained back then.

Some 2,000 interviews later, he still sounds a lot like that 26-year-old newspaper man: "We need to go and find out what happened and tell people about it in a language they understand. And when we've done that, it can be a noble thing."

If he seems to keep it all in perspective, it's because he has some. Three years ago, Schieffer was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He didn't know if he'd be able to return to a job. He never imagined it would be the one he got.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world that I got a chance to do, as an adult, what I wanted to do as a young person. I've had a wonderful, wonderful life, and it's a longer life than I probably deserved and frankly, that even I thought I would have. And I just hope I can make good use of the next chapter and the next days," Schieffer said.

And he credits his family for helping him on his incredible journey.

Schieffer noted, "I'm the product of many things and many people. I don't buy into this 'self-made man' business. From my mom and my wife, and my daughters, I've really learned from them. In the end, they helped and made me what I got to be."

[acdcmarky]

Here at the Wheeling News-Register/The Intelligencer, I respected Bob Schieffer so much that a picture of him in a Ft. Wayne Cats uniform (with Bobby Bragan) is my screensaver. It's SUPPOSED to inspire me to be direct but also charming with the questions in my interviews, as he is. I'm still working . . . .

[codyaddayadd]

Bob Schieffer is the difference between a news reader (as we have now on all three major networks and most of the cable stations) and a news reporter. I will miss him as I miss Edward R. Murrow and Eric Severied and Charles Kuralt and Walter Cronkite......Oh and Chet and David too.....Bye Bob see you on Sundays.....You will be missed.

PJM

[megala--2008]

Dear Mr. Schieffer, You are wonderful!!! You are the main reason I have watched CBS news -- I love the way you present both the Evening News and Face the Nation. Your intelligence, insightfulness, credibility, accuracy, humor and class have made the Evening News for me -- you care and it shows. It's wonderful to be able to respect and trust a Newscaster -- thank you for that and a such a great job for all these years. I will miss you Monday through Friday evenings and look forward to Sunday mornings and any special reports you share with us.
Now, it's Bob and Family Time. I hope you and your wife and daughters will be able to enjoy more time together -- you all deserve that.
You are indeed a Class Act and I'm very sorry to see you go. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Peter Degenhardt]

I always liked Bob Schieffer, just as I've always liked many of the other reporters at CBS news. I was disappointed when the network heehawed around about who would take Dan Rather's spot. In my opinion they had the obvious choice with John Roberts, but seeing that they were looking for someone from the outside, Roberts bolted to CNN. I stopped watching "The Today Show" a couple years ago because I got tired of their preachy way of presenting stories, but I'll give Katie Couric a chance, besides, do either of the other networks really have anyone better? Hardly. Brian Williams is about as bland as a bowl of chicken broth, and Charles Gibson is just not someone I want to watch while eating dinner. Bob Schieffer was/is a class act, and I'll continue to watch him on FTN, right after the best morning show on television, CBS's own, "Sunday Morning."

[redcat2006]

Here's the rest of my comment...unfortunately, I have no clue as to when I've reached 1500 characters...

Rather than chucking Bob out with the bathwater, they should have down something really innovative like concentrate on bringing in-depth reporting to us rather than the nonstop surfacey tidbits they try to pass off as real news. That's why all of the "news" and "interview" shows have a sameness about them. Two or three short questions thrown at a guest or a reporter and the viewer can almost hear the ticking clock for the next commercial break intruding. Sadly, should the interviewee or commenter stutter, it's all over since there's hardly any attempt to really let them speak. Soundbite, anyone?

Good luck to Bob and I'll be watching him on "FTN" as long as he's there to welcome me each Sunday.

[redcat2006]

Bob Schieffer is pretty much last of a dying breed; A genuine newsman on the visual medium beamed into our households. I always watch "Face The Nation" because I admire his down-to-earth style of interviewing and moderating discussions.

Sorry but Katie Couric can't hold a candle to him either in experience or talent. She's perky and smiley and seems bright enough for a show like "Today" but I doubt that I'd be inclined to race to my TV for hard news on her watch.

Anonymous 136, it's just because of comments such as yours that we are subjected to a neverending stream of news "faces" sputtering at us from our small screens rather than real news persons. Show me one national news person on either network or cable who isn't in the 25 - 45 age group with what employers call "front office appearance" and I'll agree with everything you stated.

It's just another example of corporate America wearing blinders while determining what will sell to their skewed view of the audience rather than trying to keep a high standard of well-informed, even-handed news persons.

[gclv]

Bob is clearly what CBS needed and brought the Evening News to where it needed to be, so I never could understand why they needed to make a change after 18 months. What makes even less sense is why they would need to go outside their own ranks for a replacement once they decided they had to have a replacement for Bob. I'm still scratching my head at the selection of Katie Couric. She's great for fluff stories and up close and personal interviews, but in no way does she fill the bill as a solo news anchor. She simply does not have the credibility as an evening news anchor. Hopefully, CBS's experiment will work with Katie, but I doubt it. I'll watch the first broadcast on 9-5 and then will be making a permanent switch to NBC Nightly News. Goodbye Bob, I shure will miss you!

[genosea]

I admired Dan ,liked Bob and had high hopes for Katie ; However , the snide tone aimed at Dan Rather , on yesterdays farewell to Bob , was needlessly disrespectful. If this meaness marks CBS's new style , I'll switch to ABC

[NewCNETFan]

Bob, you were like Kirby Puckett in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series: you came through when it was crunch time. Good luck on "Face The Nation" & tell Katie she'll need to fill some big shoes.

[PB G4]

I know that CBS didn't like the way negotiations went with Dan Rather, but all of the Dan Rather negative-speak above is really uncalled for and seems to try and revise history, and has a fair tint of the shameful and distasteful to it.

Dan was a part of generations of dinner-time news casts - a trusted part of many families. The National Guard story had a few features to it - the documents were never 100 percent confirmed, but neither were they 100 percent ruled to be false.

The story itself could be correct and Mr. Rather has recently stated on Larry King that he believes the basic facts of the story to be accurate.

This was not Judith Miller repeating assertions of an administration that there were definately weapons of mass destruction or similar irresponsible journalism.

There was no need to get credibility back for CBS news or Dan Rather. There was no tough spot to work through. The CBS site, Bob and Katie should feel a little shame over this one.