传播学经典导读教材-7 CBS NEWS.docVIP

7 CBS NEWS Edwin Emery,Michael Emery and Nancy L.Roberts Dan Rather inherited Walter Cronkite’s anchor chair at the CBS Evening News in 1981 after signing an $8 million 5-year contract,and he immediately felt the tremendous pressure of trying to maintain the CBS lead in the ratings.After getting off to a slow start as the audience became used to Rather’s intensity and rapid delivery,CBSran off a string of 213 consecutive weeks in first place before slipping in June 1986.Rather had clearly become comfortable with his audience.His trademarks were his sincerity,his ready smile ,and his pullover sweaters. The ratings war became a three-way battle in 1986,when NBC’s Nightly News topped CBSin the fourth quarter,the first time NBC had won a quarter since 1967.Deep concern set in at “Black Rock”,the CBS headquarters that only months before had survived a questionable “junk bonds”takeover bid by the flamboyant Ted Turner .A series of management shifts saw 84-year-old William S.Paley come out of retirement to resume his old board chairman’s position, Laurence Tisch of the Loews Corporate empire become the chief operating officer,and veteran producer Howard Stringer assume the presidency of CBS News .By late 1987 the CBS Evening News again had a narrow lead. During the 1988 campaign Rather became the center of controversy when he aggressively challenged candidate George Bush and his Iran-Contra connections,only to have the vice president counter with a tongue-lashing for raising the issue.During one heated exchange Bush chided Rather for an earlier episode when Rather,angry over a mix up,left his CBS anchor chair?and the networkempty for several embarrassing minutes while his producers tried to find him.However,many journalists praised Rather for his courage in asking about Bush’s mysterious involvement,and later it was learned Bush was in fact considerably involved with various Iran-Contra aspects. CBS dropped its CBS Morning News show in late 1986 after more than three dec