CBS Drops the Ball on Pelley's Firing
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Scott Pelley was not about to go quietly from the CBS Anchor chair.
Pelley knew he was getting pulled from Evening News and he decided to do it on his terms.
Page Six says that Pelley had ordered his assistant to clear out his offices on Tuesday after he clashed with CBS News President David Rhodes.
Pelley, who’s reporting in Syria, knew of his firing and took action ahead of next week’s planned announcement of his move to “60 Minutes.”
A source said, “Pelley asked for the curtains of his office to be opened, so everyone in the news division could see, as the boxes from office were lined up outside with his Texas home address on them.”
Now CBS is looking for his replacement.
While Anthony Mason has been named as the interim stand-in, he is unlikely to get the big job on a permanent basis, sources say, and there’s a race to replace Pelley.'
CBS insiders say Norah O’Donnell has the gravitas for the job, but news chiefs are reluctant to take her out of “CBS This Morning,” which she hosts alongside Charlie Rose and Gayle King, because the show is doing so well it could soon overtake NBC’s “Today” in overall ratings.
One insider said, “Norah would be willing to do both the evening and the morning if CBS wanted her to do so, but it would be a lot of work.”
Jeff Glor, who went to the same high school as your humble FTVLive Editor is also said to be up for the job.
Word is that CNN's Jake Tapper wants the gig, but even CBS isn't dumb enough to make that move.
The bet is that Mason will have the job through most of the Summer and CBS will make the announcement as to who will get the chair in time for the Fall season.
Stay tuned....
