NBC names CBS producer to head news division
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NEW YORK (AP) — NBC named
Andrew Lack. a longtime CBS News
magazine show producer, to hood its
embattled news division Wednes
day.
"They want me to spend a lot of
lime with their producer*." said Lack, executive producer
of CBS' Street Stories. "They need to know that they've
got a guy who cares how these broadcasts get made and
how good they can be."
"Someone who respects deeply what they do for a liv
ing is coming to the office of the president of NBC News,
and looking forward to working with them, and trying to
lead them in a way that brings out the best in them." he
said.
Lack. 45. succeeds Michael Cartner. who announced
his resignation last month in the aftermath of the botched
Dateline NBC report in which a General Motors truck was
rigged to ratch fire on impact
t.ack, a 16-time Emmy Award recipient, winner of the
Peabody. Polk and many other awards, is himself no
stranger to controversy
As creator-executive prtxtuf*r oi race to race mm Con
nie Chung in May 1990. he was criticized for that show's
re-enactment* of new* events. "I tried it once.” Lar k said.
"Orn* was enough."
Lack said his top priority was NBC Nightly News, the
third-ranked evening newscast. anchored by Tom Brokaw
"That's the flagship," Lack said. "The first plat* I'm head
ing is Tom's place. He knows he has in me a real part
ner and an ally."
Brokaw said he was thrilled that Lack was coming
aboard. "At this time in the history of NBC News, we need
a strong leader with a thorough knowledge of television
news." Brokaw said "Andy I.ack fits that bill on all
counts."
l*ok also was creator and executive producer of West
S7th, the jazzy, prime time news magazine described
by The Complete Directory to Pnme Time Network TV
Shows as a "fast-paced, yuppie version of 60 Minutes "
It premiered in August 1985 and aired for four seasons
"I couldn't think of a better person to help us," said
NBC President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright.
"It's hard to get a good producer to walk away from pro
auction anu i w« i-augm mm *•••»«> ••• •••« •••*
when he wanted to do that."
Wright said Lack * name kept cropping up during the
search for the news chief, but never as a leading contender.
"They'd say ... oh. and. by the way. there’s this guy you
ought to talk to. Andy Lack But he's a producer.’ ” Wright
said. "Finally. 1 fame to the view that I was going to spend
some time with him."
I^ack joined CBS News in 1976. became a 60 Minutes
produtor in May 1977 and joined the CBS Reports unit
in 1978. becoming its executive producer in 1981.
He was senior exeutive producer of Crossroads, the
weekly newsmagazine anchored by Charles Kuralt and
Bill Moyers during the summer of 1984.
Gartner resigned after the embarrassing staged incident
that look place during a report to show the alleged fire
dangers ol the "sidesaddle" fuel tanks in General Motors
pickups made from 1973 to 1987.
The truck had been rigged — without viewers' knowl
edge — with tiny rocket engines to ensure it would catch
fire if gasoline leaked.
Cuomo backs out of
court consideration
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mario Cuomo, the best-known can
didole for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy, formally
withdrew from consideration Wednesday before President
Clinton had narrowed his list of prospects
The New York governor said he told Clinton of his decision
hy telephone April 1 and followed up with a letter Wednesday
In the letter, Cuomo said wanted to remain governor to help
New York's economic recovery and to give political support to
Clinton's "good work
1 ie s.nd Clinton called him April t to disi uss the vacancy. 1
think this is a simple thing. I feel a commitment to the state.”
Cuomo said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Clinton refused earlier in the day to confirm reports of the
withdrawal, but said. "I think he's terrific ''
Cuomo's de< ision removes the only candidate with celebri
ty quality from the long list of names earning spe< illation in
Washington It indicates Cuomo may run for a fourth term as
governor.
Aides said Clinton is at least a month away from making
los chon e There is no hurry, since Justice Byron White will
not retire until the end of the court's term, usually late June
or Juh
Cuomo’s decision, which was first reported by Sewsday,
was unknown to some of Clinton s i loses! advisers until now
That is an indication of how hard the president is working to
avoid leaks that plagued some of his Cabinet selections.
Among the < andidates mentioned hy administration officials
are Judge Judith Kaye, chief judge of New York's highest state
court: Judge Patricia Wald, wlio sits on the U S Court oJ
Appeals in Washington; and Judge Bil liard Arnold of Little
Bo* k. who sits on tlie 8th U S Cm nit Court of Appeals. Arnold
is an old friend of Clinton.
Clinton has hy no means limited his choices to those three
people. White House officials say
In the rampant speculation about the Supreme Court open
ing, Cuomo had emerged as the liberal wing's seiitimeutul
choice, though the Clinton inner circle had never tipped its
hand about Cuomo's chances.
But tlie loss ol a high-profile candidate in Cuomo could rob
Clinton of one of the qualities he is seeking in a nominee. A
White House official familiar with the search process said Clin
ton wanted "someone who will make people say wow'
whether they agree with the person or not "
Officials: Ruling hurts black schools
WASHINGTON (AP) — Black university offi
cials said Wednesday that a recent Supreme Court
desegregation ruling and plate cost-cutting mea
sures were threatening their existence.
"This is genocide.” said Alvin Chambliss, a
lawyer fighting the state of Mississippi in its effort
to c lose the Mississippi Valley State University
campus and merge another traditionally black uni
versity.
"It's a political war that if we lose, black folks in
America will go l»ac k to the cotton |>atc.h." Cham
bliss said
Officials from the National Association for Equal
Opportunity in Higher Education, the only group
representing all black colleges and universities,
ended a four-day conference pledging to strength
en the traditional networks that support black col
leges.
They argued that any reduction in traditionally
black institutions will hurt the nation's work forc e
"In the short-term the states will save money by
closing schools." William Blakely, a University of
the District of Columbia trustee said. "But tiiuy
lose the productive capabilities of these institu
tions.”
The Supreme Court recently ruled that Missis
sippi had not done enough to desegregate its uni
versities. reviving moves to close Mississippi Val
ley State, the school that prompted the 17-year
court Iwtlle
Mississippi's Board of Higher Education pro
posed a plan to dose the university, merge mainly
black Alcorn State University with a white insti
tution. and retain Jackson University as an "urban
institution," Blakely said.
Similar battles over black colleges are looming
in Alabama and Louisiana, the black college orga
nization said.
"Mississippi is a focal point, but not the only
point," Blakely said. “We can't ignore what is
going on in other states. We need to be prepared
everywhere.”
While historically black colleges and universi
ties make up only 4 percent of the nation's total,
they graduate 34 percent of all black baccalaure
ates.
Black colleges and universities have traditional
ly provided educational opportunities for the poor
and minorities, including those whose test scores
are too low to qualify for other colleges.
Blakely said closing black colleges, or merging
them with other white schools who have tougher
admission standards, will keep potential black stu
dents from going to college.
"If black colleges and universities bad ironclad
admissions policies you would screen out high
potential students who can succeed academically
given the chance," Blakely said. "The bottom line
is. we really can't afford to lose minorities in the
work force."
Students at sit-in demand cultural center
CHAPKL Hil l.. N.C. (AP) —
Students holding a week long sit
in at the University of North Car
olina at Chapel Hill say they'll
take their demands for a hlack
cultural center to the school's
chancellor when he returns
today
chancellor Paul Hardin has
been at the National Collegiate
Athletic Association basketball
championships in New Orleans
while the students have demon
st rated.
"He's been partying for a week
now. 1 think he should bo ready
to face the issue," Sean Denan. a
freshman from Charlotte, said
Wednesday.
The student protesters want
Hardin to commit to a particular
size and site for a new free-stand
ing center. Hardin, who has
alreudy endorsed plans for a cen
ter. has said he won't commit to
a specific size and Intuition until
after an April 13 hearing and rec
ommendation from the campus
buildings committee.
The students, along with the
Black Cultural Center Advisory
Board, want a building of 53.1)00
square feet constructed at the cen
ter of campus.
Last year. Hardin cautioned
against allowing a separate build
ing for the center to become a
symbol of racial separatism .
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