CBS Cancels 60 Minutes Wednesday

Eight months after broadcasting a report critical of President Bush that was later disavowed, CBS said today that it had canceled the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes."

The announcement was made this morning by Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS, at a breakfast meeting with journalists in advance of a presentation later today to advertisers.

Already ranked among the lower-rated programs on television, the magazine program was further imperiled after it broadcast a report in September that purported to raise new questions about President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service. After initially defending the report, the network announced that it could no longer vouch for the documents on which it was based.

New York Times

I guess this is the last consequence to be realized from CBS's false report on Bush's guard service. Although they say it's unrelated, I'm sure the ratings never recovered after they plunged over this story. I wonder how much a role Dan Rather will really have left at CBS now.

Originally posted by djohnsto77

I guess this is the last consequence to be realized from CBS's false report on Bush's guard service. Although they say it's unrelated, I'm sure the ratings never recovered after they plunged over this story. I wonder how much a role Dan Rather will really have left at CBS now.

I don't know that 60 Minutes II (aka Wednesday) ever had ratings comparable to the regular 60 Minutes or the rest of the CBS prime time line up. It was just a spin off since 1999 effectively doubling the massive investigative budget of the 60 Minutes franchise for CBS without doubling the ratings (where CBS was #1 last year anyway). Ratings are still excellent in fact for the original 60 Minutes where Rather will most likely finish out his contract through 2006.

This really has more to do with losing the Everybody Loves Raymond cash cow than anything. Investigative journalism is the most expensive thing you can do. Of course it's "risky" too since you're responsible, but we should all lament the roll back of investigative journalism. Sitting behind a desk and reading AP wires may be cheaper and hosting screaming head debates may be "safer" but is either really more responsible?

[edit on 18-5-2005 by RANT]

Excellent. Now CBS can fill that hole with a crappy reality TV show.

If true, its sad as I feel all 60 Minutes broadcasts are getting to the truth and they could probably run three or four and still not have investigated and reported their findings.

Dallas