West 57th (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = West 57th


caption =
format = Newsmagazine
picture_format =
runtime = 60 minutes, including commercials
creator = Andrew Lack
Howard Stringer
executive_producer = Andrew Lack
starring = Meredith Vieira
John Ferrugia
Jane Wallace (1985-1988)
Bob Sirott (1985-1988)
Karen Burnes (1988-1989)
Selina Scott (1987-1988)
Steve Kroft (1987-1989)
Stephen Schiff (1988-1989)
country = USA
network = CBS
first_aired = August 13, 1985
last_aired = September 9, 1989
num_episodes =
website =
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

West 57th is a newsmagazine series which aired on CBS from August 13, 1985, through September 9, 1989. Thought by Don Hewitt to be the younger rival of "60 Minutes", he campaigned internally to kill the show. "West 57th" originally premiered as a summer series, and took its name from the New York address of CBS News. The original correspondents were Jane Wallace, Bob Sirott, Meredith Vieira, and John Ferrugia. Later contributors included Steve Kroft, Selina Scott, Karen Burnes, and Stephen Schiff.

The style of the program was intended to use the contemporary tools of television to tell compelling stories. The show's popularity, a concern for Hewitt, prompted "60 Minutes" pundit Andy Rooney to dedicate one of his closing segments on his program to a parody of "West 57th" correspondents.

Hewitt and internal critics of the program prevailed in 1989 when CBS canceled "West 57th". According to Peter Boyer in his book "Who Killed CBS?", Dan Rather was always obsessed with having enough resources for the CBS Evening News. He was very upset when his star reporters, Jane Wallace and Meredith Vieira, were recruited to join "West 57th". After the cancellation, the show was replaced by the short-lived "Saturday Night with Connie Chung". Vieira and fellow correspondent Steve Kroft transferred to "60 Minutes", where Kroft currently remains. Sirott moved to Chicago to continue a successful career in local TV and Radio. John Ferrugia moved to Denver to anchor local news and begin an award winning investigative team.

External links, video

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABOCF5UJASE John Mellencamp "West 57th" interview (1987)] , via YouTube