Ernest Leiser
Encyclopedia
Ernest Leiser was executive producer of The CBS Evening News
. He was recognized with Emmy
and Peabody award
s for coverage of post-war Europe, civil rights, and Vietnam
.
He was in charge of transitioning CBS News
from radio to primarily television.
After getting his degree from the University of Chicago
, he worked for Chicago
news bureaus and papers.
, he reported for the "Stars and Stripes" and was one of the first reporters
to reach Berlin. He was also worked in military intelligence.
For his service, he was decorated with the US Army's Bronze Star and
the French
Croix de Guerre
. After the war, he worked in Frankfurt
for the Overseas News Bureau.
In 1948, he covered the Berlin Airlift.
He was recognized with a Peabody award for his coverage and courage for taking risk of
"life and limb" during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
.
He was the first to get film out of the country.
His coverage resulted in him sharing a Peabody Award for CBS.
He was a central figure in the radio-to-tv transition for CBS News and the
newscast he produced was the first to expand from 15 to 30 minutes, allowing
the news to be more than a headline service.
He was an important part of CBS's coverage of the space program, political campaigns, conventions, and elections of national significance, civil rights and Vietnam
During the time Leiser was executive producer of the Evening News
, it went from trailing NBC
's
Huntley-Brinkley newscast to first place. He also won Emmy Awards in three consecutive years (1969–1971) for
After the Tet offensive in Vietnam, Leiser and Walter Cronkite
went to Vietnam and were invited to dine with General Creighton Abrams
, the commander of all forces in Vietnam who Cronkite knew from World War II. Abrams told Cronkite, "we cannot win this Goddamned war, and we ought to find a dignified way out." Leiser wrote the speech that Cronkite delivered over the air that caused President Lyndon B. Johnson
to say, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." Johnson soon declined to run for re-election.
He also was instrumental in Dan Rather
being hired and developed as a CBS reporter.
,
Leiser joined him as his executive producer.
His coverage of the 200th anniversary of America for 14 1/2 hours on July 4, 1976 (In Celebration of US (CBS),1976) won the network the Peabody Award.
He became Vice President at CBS News.
His coverage of the 1980 presidential campaign was awarded the
Alfred I. DuPont award by Columbia University
.
He decried the thinning out of the reporting ranks, the closing down of foreign bureaus, and the lack of prime-time documentaries.
He also taught journalism
as a senior fellow at the Gannett Institute at Columbia.
At the time, Dan Rather said,
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
. He was recognized with Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and Peabody award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
s for coverage of post-war Europe, civil rights, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
He was in charge of transitioning CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
from radio to primarily television.
Early life
Ernest Leiser was born in Philadelphia in 1921.After getting his degree from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, he worked for Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
news bureaus and papers.
Early career
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he reported for the "Stars and Stripes" and was one of the first reporters
to reach Berlin. He was also worked in military intelligence.
For his service, he was decorated with the US Army's Bronze Star and
the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. After the war, he worked in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
for the Overseas News Bureau.
In 1948, he covered the Berlin Airlift.
CBS years
He joined CBS News in 1953.He was recognized with a Peabody award for his coverage and courage for taking risk of
"life and limb" during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
.
He was the first to get film out of the country.
His coverage resulted in him sharing a Peabody Award for CBS.
He was a central figure in the radio-to-tv transition for CBS News and the
newscast he produced was the first to expand from 15 to 30 minutes, allowing
the news to be more than a headline service.
He was an important part of CBS's coverage of the space program, political campaigns, conventions, and elections of national significance, civil rights and Vietnam
During the time Leiser was executive producer of the Evening News
, it went from trailing NBC
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
's
Huntley-Brinkley newscast to first place. He also won Emmy Awards in three consecutive years (1969–1971) for
- coverage of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.(1968) and its aftermath
- the documentary "Fathers and Sons"(1969) and the
- "The World of Charlie Company (1970)"
After the Tet offensive in Vietnam, Leiser and Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
went to Vietnam and were invited to dine with General Creighton Abrams
Creighton Abrams
Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. was a general in the United States Army who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968–72 which saw U.S. troop strength in Vietnam fall from a peak of 543,000 to 49,000. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1972 until shortly...
, the commander of all forces in Vietnam who Cronkite knew from World War II. Abrams told Cronkite, "we cannot win this Goddamned war, and we ought to find a dignified way out." Leiser wrote the speech that Cronkite delivered over the air that caused President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
to say, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." Johnson soon declined to run for re-election.
He also was instrumental in Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
being hired and developed as a CBS reporter.
At ABC with Harry Reasoner (1972-1975)
When Harry Reasoner left CBS for ABCABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
,
Leiser joined him as his executive producer.
Returning to CBS News
He returned to CBS in 1975.His coverage of the 200th anniversary of America for 14 1/2 hours on July 4, 1976 (In Celebration of US (CBS),1976) won the network the Peabody Award.
He became Vice President at CBS News.
His coverage of the 1980 presidential campaign was awarded the
Alfred I. DuPont award by Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Later years
In 1986 and later, he wrote that the TV news business had gone from being part of the public service required of a network to being looked at as a place to cut costs.He decried the thinning out of the reporting ranks, the closing down of foreign bureaus, and the lack of prime-time documentaries.
He also taught journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
as a senior fellow at the Gannett Institute at Columbia.
Death
He died November 26, 2002 at his home in South Nyack, NY.At the time, Dan Rather said,
"Ernest Leiser was a wonderful family man and friend, a classy gentleman,
a thorough scholar, an integrity-filled journalist and visionary leader
of other journalists. He repeatedly proved he was one of the bravest and best American journalists in history—and one of the few who proved it in print, radio and television."