60 Minutes

60 Minutes is the investigative news magazine program that aired on CBS News the United States since 1968. The program was created by long time producer Don Hewitt, who wanted to do investigative reporting by the reporters. Since start running, 60 Minutes has a high audience rating. Day became the 40th of this event is celebrated in the autumn of 2008. This event record as the most durable of all genres of prime-time show on American television networks. Meet the Press is much older also aired in prime time, but not constantly like 60 Minutes.

Insipirasi to make this event come from a controversial news program in Canada, This Hour Has Seven Days that aired from 1964 to 1966.

At first, 60 Minutes aired a two-week event with host Harry Reasoner and Mike Wallace. Premiered on September 24, 1968, and aired every week on alternating Tuesday evenings with another event CBS News production. Don Hewitt, who had been a producer of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite used to counter Wallace Reasoner. [1] The idea is to create a show that makes a reporter as host of the show, always present the story of national importance, but focuses on the individual involved, or individual who has a conflict with the subject. In addition, when running the report is limited to about 13 minutes. [1]

After Reasoner left CBS to become anchor of one of his evening news programs on ABC, replacing Morley Safer in 1970 (Reasoner returned to CBS and 60 Minutes in 1978). Safer take over the duties Reasoner reporting stories that are not so sensitive. However, when Richard Nixon began to restrict access to mass media and reporters, Safer began doing investigative reporting that "sensitive". During the year 1970, 60 Minutes reported on cluster bombs, the South Vietnamese Army, Canada's amnesty for American draft dodger, Nigeria, Middle East, and Northern Ireland. [2]. In 1983, Safer reports, "Lenell Gether's in Jail" to free a prisoner from the penitentiary. Gether is a Texas resident sentenced for armed robbery that was never done. The report is up to now become one of the best achievement of 60 Minutes.

In 1971, 60 Minutes segment starting named "Point / Counterpoint" with James J. Kilpatrick and Nicholas von Hoffman (later replaced by Shana Alexander). It contained a 3-minute debate between spokesmen of the conservative and liberal circles. This segment will become a pioneer of the format that later adapted by CNN for its Crossfire. Segment "Point / Counterpoint" lasted until replaced by a segment of comments by Andy Rooney in 1979. Previously, since the fall of 1978, Andy Rooney and "Point / Counterpoint" was performed alternately every two weeks. Andy Rooney was brought up to present comment segment.