Connie Chung

Correspondent


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In the two-and-a-half-hour solo portion of her interview, Connie Chung outlines her career in journalism. She discusses her family's move from China to the United States, her childhood in the Washington D.C/Maryland area, and her time at the University of Maryland. She recalls getting her first job as a copy person at TV station WTTG in Washington, becoming newsroom secretary there, and finally advancing to news writer and on-air reporter. Chung describes getting hired at CBS News and speaks of experiencing racism and sexism in the newsroom. She touches on stories she covered at CBS and describes leaving the network to become a local news anchor in Los Angeles. Missing national news, she returned to the East Coast to join NBC News in New York. She details her time at both ABC and CNN, tells what it was like to work with her husband Maury Povich on Weekends with Maury and Connie, and talks about adopting her son. Karen Herman conducted the interview on December 15, 2009 in New York, NY.

In the thirty-minute joint portion of their interview, Maury Povich and Connie Chung describe how they met, when they married, and what their favorite things are about each other. Beth Cochran conducted the interview on December 15, 2009 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"When I got the anchor job, filling half of his seat many years later in 1993, he called me up and he gave me one bit of advice. He said, 'Just remember to be yourself.' And that's what he was. Walter [Cronkite] was himself, and I took it to heart. He was right."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Connie Chung on becoming a news writer and an on-air reporter
02:59
Connie Chung on working with Walter Cronkite
01:44
Connie Chung on appearing on Murphy Brown
01:15
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on how they met
01:41
Connie Chung on where she was on 9/11 and covering Cantor Fitzgerald
04:10
Full Interview

Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On her childhood and early influences; on how she got the name Connie; on her parents' move from China to the U.S.
On her family acclimating to the U.S.; on her father becoming an accountant; on being quiet as a child; on wanting to be a ballet dancer and being a diligent student; on attending the University of Maryland; on a summer internship for a Congressman and getting interested in journalism
On watching television as a kid; on wanting to watch Texaco Star Theater and having to watch Life is Worth Living instead; on her college years; on getting a job as a copy person at TV station WTTG Washington and becoming newsroom secretary; on becoming a news writer and an on-air reporter; on getting hired at CBS News; on experiencing racism in the newsroom; on her colleagues at the Washington Bureau at CBS News; on stories she was assigned at the beginning of her career at CBS News
On feeling like she had finally made it; on covering Governor McGovern during the 1972 presidential campaign; on getting more on-camera time; on working with Walter Cronkite; on being recognized

Chapter 2

On covering Vietnam, Capitol Hill, Watergate and the 1972 election for CBS; on a mentor of hers at The Washington Post; on covering Vice-President Rockefeller; on her on-camera persona; on leaving CBS to anchor local LA news and becoming more relaxed on-camera
On adjusting to life in Los Angeles; on Grant Tinker encouraging her to join NBC's news division; on becoming a Correspondent for NBC News in NY; on her appearances on Late Night with David Letterman; on Walter Cronkite appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on appearing on Murphy Brown; on covering elections with Tom Brokaw and John Chancellor; on filling in for Jane Pauley on Today; on Howard Stringer hiring her to do a news show with Andy Lack at CBS
On being asked to co-anchor CBS Evening News with Dan Rather; on adopting a baby with husband Maury Povich; on covering the Oklahoma City bombing; on women anchoring the news
On magazine shows she's done; on stories on silicone breast implants and one on Bangladesh; on Roone Arledge hiring her to come to ABC; on interviews when she was co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather; on criticism of her interview with Newt Gingrich's mother

Chapter 3

On her interview with Newt Gingrich's mother, contd.; on where she was on 9/11; on leaving ABC for CNN; on Weekends with Maury and Connie with husband Maury Povich
On then-current projects; on her son; on the pressure to look young; on the possibility of going on-camera at 63 years old; on her husband aging gracefully; on advice to those starting out in journalism; on how she'd like to be remembered

Chapter 4

START OF JOINT INTERVIEW WITH MAURY POVICH: On how they met; on Povich being second banana to Chung in Los Angeles; on getting married; on being competitive as journalists; on reactions when fans see them together; on her appearances on David Letterman's show; on Weekends with Maury and Connie
On working together; on her off-pitch serenade; on giving each other career advice; on Chung as a trailblazer; on Povich not caring what critics think; on their Flathead Beacon newspaper
On the Flathead Beacon newspaper; on Povich's favorite story about Chung; on Chung's favorite story about Povich
Shows

CBS Evening News with Dan Rather

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Connie Chung on co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
09:36
Connie Chung on interviews when she was co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
02:23

CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite

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Connie Chung on getting on-air on CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and working with Cronkite
03:37

Current Affair, A

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Connie Chung and Maury Povich on competing for interviews when Povich was on A Current Affair
01:20
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Povich's favorite Chung story
01:45

Face to Face with Connie Chung

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Connie Chung on interview show Face to Face with Connie Chung
03:03

Huntley-Brinkley Report, The

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Connie Chung on Huntley and Brinkley being true co-anchors
01:17

Late Night with David Letterman

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Connie Chung on her appearances on Late Night with David Letterman
02:45
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Chung's appearances on David Letterman's show
01:25
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Povich's favorite Chung story
01:45

Life Is Worth Living

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Connie Chung on wanting to watch Texaco Star Theater and having to watch Life is Worth Living instead
01:43

Mary Tyler Moore Show, The

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Connie Chung on Walter Cronkite appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
00:17

Murphy Brown

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Connie Chung on appearing on Murphy Brown
01:15

NBC News

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Connie Chung on becoming a Correspondent for NBC News
01:38

Romper Room

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Connie Chung on loving Miss Connie on Romper Room
00:07

Texaco Star Theater

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Connie Chung on wanting to watch Texaco Star Theater and having to watch Life is Worth Living instead
01:43

Today

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Connie Chung on filling in for Jane Pauley on Today
00:12
Topics

9/11

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Connie Chung on where she was on 9/11 and covering Cantor Fitzgerald
04:10

Fame and Celebrity

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Connie Chung on being recognized and the response to her from Asian-Americans and women
01:11

Richard M. Nixon

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Connie Chung on interviewing Haldeman during the Watergate scandal
01:30
Connie Chung on covering Watergate and Vice-President Rockefeller
04:22

Underrepresented Voices

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Connie Chung on experiencing racism at work
02:00
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Chung as a trailblazer
01:04

Women

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Connie Chung on becoming a news writer and an on-air reporter
02:59
Connie Chung on getting hired at CBS News
01:12
Connie Chung on being co-anchor of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and women anchoring the news
02:13
Connie Chung on the double standard with on-camera older women and men
01:25
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Chung as a trailblazer
01:04
Professions

Correspondent

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Connie Chung on advice to those starting out in journalism
05:37

Journalists & News Producers

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Connie Chung on her interest in journalism
03:29
Connie Chung on becoming a news writer and an on-air reporter
02:59
Connie Chung on getting hired at CBS News
01:12
Genres

News and Documentary

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Connie Chung on getting on-air on CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and working with Cronkite
03:37
Connie Chung on getting hired at CBS News
03:12
Connie Chung on interviews when she was co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
02:23
Connie Chung on co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
09:36
People

Roone Arledge

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Connie Chung on Roone Arledge hiring her to come to ABC - where Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer were
01:35

Milton Berle

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Connie Chung on wanting to watch Texaco Star Theater and having to watch Life is Worth Living instead
01:43

Ed Bradley

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Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
03:02
Connie Chung on stories she and the other newbies were assigned at the beginning of her career at CBS News
00:31

David Brinkley

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Connie Chung on Huntley and Brinkley being true co-anchors
01:17

Tom Brokaw

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Connie Chung on covering elections with Tom Brokaw and John Chancellor
00:38

John Chancellor

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Connie Chung on covering elections with Tom Brokaw and John Chancellor
00:38

Connie Chung

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Connie Chung and Maury Povich on how they met
01:41

Bill Clinton

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Connie Chung on criticism of her interview with Newt Gingrich's mother
03:16

Katie Couric

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Connie Chung on women anchoring the news
00:47

Walter Cronkite

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Connie Chung on getting hired at CBS News
01:12
Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
03:02
Connie Chung on working with Walter Cronkite
01:44
Connie Chung on Walter Cronkite appearing on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
00:17

Diane English

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Connie Chung on appearing on Murphy Brown
01:15

Chet Huntley

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Connie Chung on Huntley and Brinkley being true co-anchors
01:17

Peter Jennings

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Connie Chung on where she was on 9/11
04:10

Marvin Kalb

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Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
02:32

John F. Kennedy

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Connie Chung on stories she was assigned at the beginning of her career at CBS News
00:50

Andrew Lack

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Connie Chung on Howard Stringer hiring her to do a news show with Andy Lack at CBS
01:24

Jay Leno

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Connie Chung and Maury Povich on her off-pitch serenade
02:19

David Letterman

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Connie Chung on her appearances on Late Night with David Letterman
02:45
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Chung's appearances on David Letterman's show
01:25
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Povich's favorite Chung story
01:45

Roger Mudd

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Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
03:02
Connie Chung on doing a magazine show with Roger Mudd
00:28

Richard M. Nixon

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Connie Chung on covering Governor McGovern during the 1972 presidential campaign race against Nixon
01:11

Jane Pauley

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Connie Chung on filling in for Jane Pauley on Today
00:12

Maury Povich

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Connie Chung on adopting a baby with husband Maury Povich
01:38
Connie Chung on Weekends with Maury and Connie with husband Maury Povich - and the two of them as a cross between "The Bickersons" and the couple from "The Thin Man"
02:54
Connie Chung on her husband aging gracefully
00:56
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on how they met
01:41

Dan Rather

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Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
03:02
Connie Chung on being asked to co-anchor CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
04:18
Connie Chung on working with Dan Rather
02:42
Connie Chung on interviews when she was co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
02:23

Richard S. Salant

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Connie Chung on head of CBS News Richard Salant
02:47

Diane Sawyer

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Connie Chung on Roone Arledge hiring her to come to ABC - where Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer were
00:31

Bob Schieffer

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Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
03:02

Daniel Schorr

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Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
02:31

Fulton J. Sheen

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Connie Chung on wanting to watch Texaco Star Theater and having to watch Life is Worth Living instead
01:43

O. J. Simpson

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Connie Chung on interviews when she was co-anchoring CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
02:23

Lesley Stahl

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Connie Chung on getting hired at CBS News
00:29
Connie Chung on her colleagues at CBS News
03:02

Howard Stringer

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Connie Chung on Howard Stringer hiring her to do a news show with Andy Lack at CBS
00:57
Connie Chung on being asked to co-anchor CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
04:18

Grant Tinker

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Connie Chung on Grant Tinker encouraging her to join NBC's news division; on her move to NY
00:55

Barbara Walters

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Connie Chung on women anchoring the news
00:47
Connie Chung on Roone Arledge hiring her to come to ABC - where Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer were
00:30

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