Cooper to ‘60 Minutes’; Wallace re-signs also

NEW YORK (May 8, 2006) — Anderson Cooper will contribute five stories a year to “60 Minutes” on CBS in an arrangement that also allows CNN to rebroadcast those reports, both networks said Monday.Meanwhile, Mike Wallace isn’t going anywhere. After a brief flirtation with NBC, he signed a four-year contract to continue contributing an occasional piece to “60 Minutes.”Cooper, 38, fills a part-time slot previously taken by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and, along with Katie Couric’s arrival at CBS this fall, gives a shot of new blood to television’s top-rated newsmagazine.Cooper did two stories last season for the now-defunct “60 Minutes II.” One was an investigative piece about steroid use in the National Football League.“I got a good sense of his abilities as a journalist from that story,” said Jeff Fager, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” “and he just fit right in here.”CNN wanted more than just exposure for its best-known personality. Unlike with Amanpour, the cable network won the right to show each of Cooper’s reports once on Cooper’s own nightly newscast.“I’m very excited by the opportunity to work at `60 Minutes,”’ Cooper said. “I grew up watching the broadcast and, like many Americans, still try to make sure I’m home Sunday nights at 7 so I can see it.”Before re-signing at CBS, Wallace reportedly had been approached by NBC News. A charter member of the “60 Minutes” team in 1968, Wallace turns 88 on Tuesday.On May 21, he will be saluted with a retrospective broadcast, “I’m Mike Wallace: A ‘60 Minutes’ Tribute.” 

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