Changing Faces At '60 Minutes'

From the time the CBS News newsmagazine show 60 Minutes began in 1968, the first face U.S. television viewers saw after the ticking stopwatch has been Mike Wallace's — until now.

Ed Bradley will replace Wallace in that prominent position when 60 Minutes begins its new season on Sunday, a further indication of a changing of the guard at television's first and still most popular newsmagazine.

With Dan Rather rejoining 60 Minutes and the show absorbing personnel from the canceled 60 Minutes II there will be nine correspondents competing for space each week on a broadcast that generally runs three stories.

Sunday's broadcast will feature Lesley Stahl's interview with Roy Hallums, an American held hostage for 10 months in Iraq, a Steve Kroft story on the search for Osama bin Laden and Bradley's profile of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

Instead of his booming voice announcing, "I'm Mike Wallace," at the beginning of each broadcast, Wallace will instead be at the end of the opening segment, saying "these stories and Andy Rooney, tonight on '60 Minutes.'"

It's a change that would be little noted on most broadcasts. But the opening is serious business at 60 Minutes, as Wallace is the iconic figure the show has long been identified with.

Wallace is expected to have a more limited role on the show, with five or six stories this season, said Jeff Fager, 60 Minutes executive producer.

Wallace, 87, was traveling in Europe on a story Wednesday and could not immediately be reached.