Barbara Walters: Where her TV career began
Q: I know that Barbara Walters was on “Today” on NBC before she went to ABC, but was that her first job in television? – Dan Wright, via email
A: She actually started with NBC on a local level, as a writer-producer of a youth-oriented series done at the network’s New York station. From there, Walters progressed to a similar behind-the-scenes role at “Today,” getting an increasing number of on-air assignments that focused on women’s issues.
She eventually was named a “Today” co-host in 1974, after more than a decade with the program, then was hired away by ABC News two years later to co-anchor the weeknight evening news with Harry Reasoner. Walters then joined her former “Today” colleague Hugh Downs on ABC’S “20/20” in 1979, adding to her dynasty of work that has been celebrated so widely in recent weeks. Q: I enjoy Alana De La Garza on “FBI,” but why did Sela Ward leave the show? – Chris
A: At the time, Primetime Emmy winner Ward’s family resided primarily in Mississippi, so working on the New York-set CBS drama meant a lot of commuting for her ... a likely reason she decided to leave the show after its first season. Interestingly, Ward herself was a replacement for someone who had been cast as the FBI team’s leader – Connie Nielsen, who appeared only in the pilot episode.
Q: There have been days when I have seen Kaitlan Collins co-anchoring CNN’S morning program, and then seen her in the late afternoon as a panelist on “The Lead.” Are her work days really that long? – Sam Travers, via email
A: They certainly can be. As that network’s chief White House correspondent before she began her current role, Collins obviously was deeply immersed in covering political news ... so when stories on that front are breaking, no matter at what hour, she remains a prime source for information and insight. Also, she’s the chief correspondent as well as a coanchor (with Don Lemon and Poppy Harlow) on “CNN This Morning,” so such reporting still is very much a part of her job.
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