Av Westin

News Producer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his three-hour-and-fifteen-minute interview, Av Westin (1929-2022) talks about his early work in network radio news as a copy boy for Edward R. Murrow and his transfer to television news. He recalls co-creating the groundbreaking CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace, as well as his relationship with Wallace. He describes producing a variety of documentaries for CBS News and his eventual departure from the organization. Westin chronicles his brief stint at the Public Broadcasting Laboratory and outlines his arrival at ABC News, where he produced ABC News aka World News Tonight for several years before departing to save 20/20 with an innovative mix of hard news and investigative reporting. He recounts his departure from ABC News, which began with an eighteen-page memo requested by Capital Cities on the state of the organization. He speaks of executive producing the syndicated Inside Edition and touches on his work at the National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Ralph Engelman conducted the interview on June 16, 2011 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I created a set of three rules about what criteria should be in deciding what's in an evening news program: 'Is my world safe? Is my home safe? If it is, what's happened in the last 24 hours to make life better or worse?' This is where all news stories then begin."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Av Westin on being a copy boy for Edward R. Murrow
02:13
Av Westin on being in Berlin when the Berlin Wall went up
05:17
Av Westin on The ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters
02:11
Av Westin on the changes he brought to 20/20 
03:03
Av Westin on the early format of CBS News
03:40
Av Westin on advice to aspiring journalists
01:18
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on his work in radio news; on his transition to television news
On becoming a producer/director for CBS News; on the early format of CBS News; on various people with whom he worked at CBS and the importance of the producer in television news
On his choice to be behind-the-scenes; on creating The CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace
On witnessing the construction of the Berlin Wall; on producing documentaries for CBS News; on departing CBS in 1969

Chapter 2

On the Public Broadcasting Laboratory; on joining ABC News; on various ABC News anchors
On The ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters; on working with Barbara Walters; on sexism over female news anchors
On the changes technological innovations such as satellites brought to ABC News; on Roone Arledge and the "three anchor" World News Tonight
On serving as Executive Producer on 20/20; on the Capital Cities takeover of ABC; on Geraldo Rivera and 20/20

Chapter 3

On the eighteen page memo that resulted in his termination at ABC News; on leaving 20/20; on Nightline and Ted Koppel
On producing the ABC News documentary 45/85 and various other documentaries; on changes in network news; on producing the series Our World and The Eagle and the Bear
On various major news events in his career; on leaving ABC News; on executive producing Inside Edition
On working as a Vice President at Time Warner; on the Freedom Forum Fellowship and working with the National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences Foundation; on his feeling about network news since he left and the rise of 24/7 cable news

Chapter 4

On the impact of television news; on news covering entertainment stories; on advice to aspiring journalists
Shows

20/20

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Av Westin on the creation of 20/20
02:42
Av Westin on the changes he brought to 20/20 
03:03
Av Westin on comparing 20/20 and 60 Minutes
01:13
Av Westin on the stories 20/20 covered and competition from other news magazines
02:44
Av Westin on the firing of Geraldo Rivera from 20/20 and his thoughts on Rivera as a journalist
04:44
Av Westin on leaving 20/20
01:21

60 Minutes

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Av Westin on comparing 20/20 and 60 Minutes
01:13

ABC News Nightline

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Av Westin on Nightline and Ted Koppel
03:31

ABC World News Tonight

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Av Westin on joining ABC News  as Executive Producer and the changes he brought
03:53
Av Westin on ABC News anchors Howard K. Smith and Frank Reynolds
02:32
Av Westin on Harry Reasoner joining ABC News
00:55
Av Westin on The ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters
02:11
Av Westin on Barbara Walters as a journalist
04:54
Av Westin on negative reactions to Barbara Walters and other female news anchors
04:40
Av Westin on the technological innovations and the impact of satellites during his tenure at ABC News
04:33
Av Westin on Roone Arledge's impact on ABC News
07:00
Av Westin on the "three anchor" version of World News Tonight
01:46

CBS Morning News

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Av Westin on creating the CBS Morning News  and innovating a new news format
06:28
Av Westin on working with Mike Wallace
01:57

CBS Reports

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Av Westin on producing CBS Reports and other documentaries for CBS News
03:09

Inside Edition

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Av Westin on Executive Producing Inside Edition and working with Bill O'Reilly
05:10
Topics

9/11

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Av Westin on 9/11
01:04

Civil Rights Movement

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Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

Cold War

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Av Westin on being in Berlin when the Berlin Wall went up
05:17
Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

Hollywood Blacklist

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Av Westin on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:49

Industry Crossroads

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Av Westin on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:49

JFK Assassination and Funeral

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Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

Korean War

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Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

Media Consolidation

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Av Westin on the Capital Cities takeover of ABC
01:37

Moon Landing

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Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

Network Creation

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Av Westin on the Public Broadcasting Laboratory
06:56

Representation on Television

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Av Westin on negative reactions to Barbara Walters and other female news anchors
04:40

Technological Innovation

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Av Westin on the technological innovations and the impact of satellites during his tenure at ABC News
04:33
Av Westin on Executive Producing the A&E documentary The Eagle and the Bear and the impact of cable television
02:33
Av Westin on the impact of the internet on television news
02:51

Television Industry

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Av Westin on the Public Broadcasting Laboratory
06:56
Av Westin on the Capital Cities takeover of ABC
01:37

Vietnam War

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Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

War

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Av Westin on being in Berlin when the Berlin Wall went up
05:17
Av Westin on various major news events in his career
11:02

Women

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Av Westin on negative reactions to Barbara Walters and other female news anchors
04:40
Professions

Journalists & News Producers

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Av Westin on the importance of the producer in television news
03:09
Av Westin on advice to aspiring journalists
01:08
Av Westin on the career path he'd take if he were starting out in 2011
00:54

News Producer

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Av Westin on the importance of the producer in television news
03:09
Av Westin on advice to aspiring journalists
01:08
Av Westin on the career path he'd take if he were starting out in 2011
00:54
Genres

News and Documentary

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Av Westin on creating the CBS Morning News
08:25
Av Westin on Executive Producing ABC News aka World News Tonight
35:19
Av Westin on Executive Producing ABC's 20/20
35:19
Av Westin on Executive Producing Inside Edition and working with Bill O'Reilly
05:10
Av Westin on the impact of the internet on television news
02:51
People

Barbara Walters

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Av Westin on The ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters
02:11
Av Westin on Barbara Walters as a journalist
04:54
Av Westin on negative reactions to Barbara Walters and other female news anchors
04:40

Bill O'Reilly

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Av Westin on Executive Producing Inside Edition and working with Bill O'Reilly
05:10

Bob Shanks

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Av Westin on the creation of 20/20
02:42

Don Hewitt

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Av Westin on the early format of CBS News
03:40
Av Westin on Don Hewitt's role in creating television news
01:26
Av Westin on various people with whom he worked at CBS News
04:00
Av Westin on working with Mike Wallace
00:57

Edward R. Murrow

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Av Westin on being a copy boy for Edward R. Murrow
02:13
Av Westin on the early format of CBS News
03:40

Frank Reynolds

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Av Westin on ABC News anchors Howard K. Smith and Frank Reynolds
02:32
Av Westin on the "three anchor" version of World News Tonight
01:46

Fred Friendly

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Av Westin on various people with whom he worked at CBS News
04:00
Av Westin on working with Mike Wallace
01:57
Av Westin on producing CBS Reports and other documentaries for CBS News
03:09
Av Westin on leaving CBS News in 1969 and Fred Friendly's departure
02:32
Av Westin on the Public Broadcasting Laboratory
06:56

Geraldo Rivera

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Av Westin on the changes he brought to 20/20
03:03
Av Westin on the firing of Geraldo Rivera from 20/20 and his thoughts on Rivera as a journalist
04:44

Harry Reasoner

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Av Westin on Harry Reasoner joining ABC News
00:55
Av Westin on The ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters
02:11

Howard K. Smith

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Av Westin on ABC News anchors Howard K. Smith and Frank Reynolds
02:32

Hugh Downs

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Av Westin on the creation of 20/20
02:42

Katie Couric

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Av Westin on negative reactions to Barbara Walters and other female news anchors
04:40

Linda Ellerbee

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Av Westin on Executive Producing Our World for ABC News
01:37

Mike Wallace

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Av Westin on creating the CBS Morning News and innovating a new news format
06:28
Av Westin on working with Mike Wallace
01:57

Peter Jennings

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Av Westin on the "three anchor" version of World News Tonight
01:46

Roger Mudd

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Av Westin on various people with whom he worked at CBS News
04:00

Roone Arledge

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Av Westin on Roone Arledge's impact on ABC News
07:00
Av Westin on the "three anchor" version of World News Tonight
01:46
Av Westin on the creation of 20/20
02:42
Av Westin on the eighteen page memo that resulted in his termination at ABC News
09:44
Av Westin on changes made by Roone Arledge during Westin's tenure at ABC News
01:12

Sander Vanocur

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Av Westin on various people with whom he worked at CBS News
04:00

Ted Koppel

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Av Westin on Nightline and Ted Koppel
03:31

Walter Cronkite

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Av Westin on various people with whom he worked at CBS News
03:36

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