11
moment when reporting on a sexual-harassment
story last year. Some listeners believe they heard
her say, “Sounds like someone else here.”
O’DOnnell insists that she does not feel like she
is on the edge of a glass cliff, thrust forward as the
female face of a network plagued by men’s wrong-
doings. The move to D.C. has strengthened view-
ership numbers. The broadcast drew 6.8 million
viewers one evening in December, a peak for the
show since O’Donnell took over, though it still
trails ABC’s and NBC’s programs. Ratings declines
have slowed across the network, including on CBS
This Morning, where King has lured younger view-
ers with high-profile interviews, like a sit-down
with R. Kelly after a documentary accused the R&B
musician of sexual assault. O’Donnell credits the
progress CBS News has made to its new president,
notorious workhorse Zirinsky. O’Donnell says
Zirinsky connects with everyone in the building,
which builds a sense of community and account-
ability. “I’ve never seen so much cultural change in
such a short period of time,” she says. “Leadership
matters. If the boss cares, if she’s there late every
night, talking to every reporter, every producer,
every janitor—if the boss cares, everyone cares.”
Zirinsky—famously the inspiration for Holly
Hunter’s ridiculously efficient character in
Broadcast News—has spent 45 years at CBS and,
when Fager was dismissed, was brought in to clean
up the mess. Zirinsky has said she was asked to
take the job before but was loath to give up her
hands-on role as a producer. She’s retained that
title and spends every night in the control room
while O’Donnell records her show. “I’m sorry,
but no other president of the network is in the
control room of both their morning show and their
evening news show every day,” says O’Donnell.
It’s a good thing too. Before O’Donnell’s move
to D.C., a soundboard in the New York City studio
caught fire during a broadcast of the Evening News.
Zirinsky jumped into action. “She’s down in the
basement on West 57th Street with a dozen guys
telling them what to do and taking pictures,” says
O’Donnell. One more fire out, the hope is that the
story moves elsewhere. □
‘I’ve never
seen so
much
cultural
change
in such
a short
period of
time.’
NORAH
OÕDONNELL,
on CBS News
under its new
president,
Susan Zirinsky
JARED SOARES FOR TIME
