What Happened When Wallace & McManus Had A “Meeting of the Minds?”

The script is clear: “Retirement” was Mike Wallace‘s decision. He wasn’t pushed. But perhaps there was a nudge?

Wallace and Sean McManus “had a meeting of the minds” more than two months ago about his future, Gail Shister reports. Wallace says: “This” — retirement? — “is not something that suddenly springs into your head.”

Wallace also says “it turned out, I think, well. I like Sean. He’s a savvy guy.”

In addition, Wallace went to lunch with Les Moonves about three months ago.

“He said he wanted to talk to me. I figured, ‘What the hell?’ I walked into the restaurant and said, ‘OK, I’m 87, give me the bad news.’ He said, ‘There’s no bad news. You’ve been here forever and you’ll be here forever. You’re a member of the family.'”