TV Guide’s Stephen Battaglio talks to CBS News & Sports President Sean McManus in the wake of some good news for the organization last week.
On CBS News’ “number one challenge”:
The number one challenge is keeping some really good momentum going forward — remaining a viable news division that is run in a financially responsible way so that it contributes to the profit of CBS Corporation. That’s sort of the mantra. If you’re the only news division where every one of your broadcasts has grown this year you must be doing something right. I think what we’re doing right is really focusing on the quality of the content.
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On the talks of a partnership between CNN and CBS:
It’s discussed everywhere except CBS News. Nothing is on the horizon. Having a cable partner would be nice, but if I look at the coverage any one of the major events that have taken place in the last two years, whether it’s a bridge collapse or the war in the Mideast a couple of years ago, the inauguration, the election — I think we’ve done as good a job or a better job than any other news organization whether it’s cable or network.
Click continued to see McManus’ thoughts on Bob Schieffer’s eventual successor on Face the Nation…
On “grooming a successor” for Face the Nation:
It’s going to be very difficult because there are not many Bob Schieffers in the world. You’ve seen what happened at NBC — there are a couple of people at every news organization that are irreplaceable. Tim Russert is in that category and Bob Schieffer falls in that category. There are options internally and externally that we’ve discussed but there is not a great option if and when Bob decides not to do that job. The good news is he’s as energized and engaged as he’s been in the last 10 years. The discussions are casual and there is no anticipation that we’re going to have Face the Nation without Bob Schieffer. The last thing he’s talking about now is retirement.