The Television Lesson from Bill Paley That Stayed With Me

The London Bureau held a special place at CBS News, and it had earned that standing. Edward R. Murrow had reported from there during World War II, and in many respects, the network itself had begun there. I arrived when I was 29 or 30. Even then, I understood that I was young for an assignment many people considered the best job in the company.

Our founder, Bill Paley, visited twice while I was stationed there. During each trip, he invited a small group of producers to lunch, usually no more than half a dozen of us. He was already in his eighties, but he still wanted to remain close to the news operation and be part of what was happening. At one of those lunches, I asked him directly what made a television program successful. He answered immediately and began talking about Jack Benny.

Paley told me that The Jack Benny Show had attracted an audience of roughly 70 million Americans at a time when the population of the United States was only about half of what it is today. He had once asked Benny why the program’s ratings were so strong. Benny gave him a simple answer: "Because they like me."

I doubt Paley understood how deeply that answer would stay with me, but it made an immediate impression. When you build a news story or an entire broadcast, journalism must guide the work. That principle is not negotiable. At the same time, people must enjoy watching what you create. A program needs to be likable and user-friendly. It should even feel G-rated in the sense that it remains approachable. Journalism textbooks do not teach that lesson, but I have never forgotten it.

Working in London also meant traveling almost constantly. We covered summits, famines, floods, fires, and earthquakes. We made regular trips into conflict zones because there always seemed to be a conflict unfolding somewhere in the world. Probably half of our assignments fell into that category. I had two young children at home while work kept me away for about half the year. I loved what I was doing, perhaps more than I should have. Conflict reporting creates an adrenaline rush that can become a habit in its own right. I watched that happen to friends who spent years covering wars and unrest. I did not want to shape my entire life around it. I missed my family too much to continue living that way.

After three and a half years in London, 48 Hours was coming together in New York. Andrew Heyward, who had been placed in charge of the program, called me with an offer, and I accepted it. Returning to the United States was more difficult than I expected. Living as an expatriate can be a wonderful experience, and coming home initially felt like a slap in the face. I think anyone who has lived abroad for an extended period may understand that feeling. I liked those first years at 48 Hours, although I never loved them as much as I had loved London. Even so, we produced some genuinely remarkable work.

One year later, in 1989, I joined 60 Minutes. That move became the beginning of another 30 years of my career. Looking back, I am still surprised by how little competition there had been for the London assignment. I cannot remember anyone else pushing hard to get it. Over time, I have come to believe that Americans are more reluctant than people from many other countries to uproot their lives and move overseas. After all these years, I still find that strange.