Happy Birthday, Ed Bradley

Philly's own. Born in Philadelphia, PA on this day in 1941. CBS correspondent and journalist who has been with CBS since 1967, covered the Vietnam conflict, past CBS News White House Correspondent, became co-anchor of 60 Minutes in 1981 - 25 years!, has won six Emmy Awards...outstanding, excellent reports with everyone and on every topic from A to Z.

Mr. Bradley, whatever you do next with your illustrious career, is OK by me because I will continue to follow you and I know it will be great, your happiness and peace of mine is key, but, Sir, if you stayed on board it would only continue to be great to me.

NY Daily News reported earlier this month that 60 Minutes and CBS want to go for a younger demo audience and are thinking of letting Ed Bradley go. Say what?! CBS, I hear that, there is nothing wrong with wanting more young people to pay attention to the news, especially a show like 60 Minutes, but to me nothing beats that age and experience, you have in a Ed Bradley. CBS, Go head, do the right thing and pay a brotha his just due!

From the New York Daily News
Monday, June 5th, 2006

"60 Minutes" star Ed Bradley and CBS execs are at loggerheads over the 64-year-old correspondent's contract as the network chases a younger audience for its venerable show.

Buzz around the office is that Bradley has grown so frustrated with the money he's being offered that he's gone on "strike."

"He still comes to the office, but he's putting off producers until his deal is resolved," one insider tells us.

Bradley insists that there's no work slowdown.

"I have a contract with CBS, and I'm honoring it," he tells us. "We're in reruns right now, so no one is shooting much. But I just taped a new opening for a piece on illegal immigrants," which ran last night.

So he's happy with his compensation?

"I don't discuss my contract with anyone," he tells us.

Some of his colleagues wouldn't blame him for feeling slighted.

"He's just come off a great season," says a source. "He's done stories about the Mafia cops, Tiger Woods, the CIA. Now that Mike Wallace is retiring, Ed is the rock of the show. I think he expected to be treated better."

Bradley's contract dilemma comes as CBS chief Les Moonves and news head Sean McManus have been tranfusing younger blood into the 37-year-old show. Among next season's contributors will be Katie Couric, 49, and CNN's Anderson Cooper, who turned 39 Saturday (and who's rumored to be getting around $500,000 for up to five stories). Also being groomed for "60 Minutes" stardom are Scott Pelley and Lara Logan, though some of the show's veteran producers are suspicious of Logan's sex appeal. "She wore low-cut shirts to interview soldiers in Iraq," says a source.

While 64-year-old Lesley Stahl is hanging in there, 74-year-old Morley Safer is doing fewer stories. And we hear "60 Minutes" contributor Dan Rather, also 74, could leave W. 57th St. once and for all in a matter of weeks.

Despite his intrinsic hipness, the earring-wearing Bradley may also be hearing the tick-tick-tick of the show's clock. "He doesn't need this," says a source. "He had a heart bypass a couple of years ago. He's not going to stick around like Mike Wallace till he's 88."

Some feel sure he'll be back next season. Bradley says he'd like to work at the show as long as it stays true to its legacy. "When someone tells me I can't do the stories I like to do," he tells us, "then I know it's time for me to go."