Barbara Walters and Charlie Rose at the TIME 100 Gala. (Getty Images)
TVNewsers turned up last night to celebrate TIME’s 100 most-influential people. This year, CBS’s Charlie Rose and FNC’s Megyn Kelly made this list. Former honorees Rupert Murdoch, Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Mehmet Oz and Barbara Walters made an appearance at last night’s event to mingle with the eclectic crowd of politicians, activists, scientists and entrepreneurs.
“Feels great, [I’m] honored, I love it,” Rose told us about his appearance as an Icon in this year’s TIME 100. However, he wasn’t quite sure if “Icon” was the appropriate designation: “It sounds like a lifetime achievement thing, and I think I’m in mid-career,” he quipped.
Rose listed Jeff Fager and Bill Moyers as the biggest influences in his career.
Dr. Oz, who made the list back in 2008, cited Oprah Winfrey as being his greatest influence: “Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am at all, not even close,” he told us. “She taught me a ton about this business, [she’s] uniquely capable at identifying what needs to be said and then saying it,” he said.
Winfrey has made the TIME 100 9 times. The only other person to hold that distinction is President Obama.
“I think TIME 100 is an iconic event,” said Dr. Oz. “It’s the evening I look forward to the most because I get to talk to people. Getting [the influencers] to pepper my brain helps me personally.”
Ronan Farrow also walked the red carpet telling TVNewser about the challenges of being new to the TV biz: “It’s very challenging to launch in a climate when you’re in the middle of a news story that people are hitting over and over again, and wanting to work in the substance,” he said.
“Our ratings have been great on the show,” said Farrow, adding “It’s a hard time for everyone right now.” (For more on how the April cable news ratings shaped up, click here.)
For aspiring TVNewsers and young media pros, Rose had some sage advice: “Make sure and follow your passion, but always pay attention to content and preparation and hard work. I’ve never known anybody really good who didn’t do that.”