Writing Debut

In May 1964, after my final spring-semester exams at Columbia, the Writers Guild agreed to allow me to work for a week as a writer for WNEW Radio News. I don’t know if, at the age of 20, I was the youngest writer WNEW ever employed, but it was a thrill, and I got to work with some of the greatest people the business was ever privileged to employ.

Here is the schedule for that unforgettable week.

Others on the schedule are:

Jack Pluntze, later to become assistant news director, then news director;

John (Jack) Laurence, later a correspondent for CBS News in Vietnam, creator of the award-winning “World of Charlie Company;”

Mike Stein, later assistant news director and news director;

Ike Pappas, later CBS News correspondent;

Rudy Ruderman, later assistant news director and news director;

Al Wasser, later senior producer at ABC News and CBS News;

Christopher Glenn, later producer and host of CBS’ “In the News;”

Ed Scott, who had been one of Murrow’s writers at CBS; and,

Loren (Larry) Craft, transfer from the Daily News.

Contributed by Andy Fisher

3 thoughts on “Writing Debut”

  1. I did not arrive until early 1967 as a newscaster but working with an incredible staff of editors and writers.
    And of course the great air talent,
    Klavan and Finch, William B, Pete Myers, Shep on the overnight. A real ‘dream team’, unique for an independent radio station. As for women, only a few, Carolyn Tanton, editor, but I think Marlene Sanders had left. Bill Diehl

  2. You beat me. I was 21 when I started at ‘NEW in 1959. That was an amazing staff. And later in ’64, I started my one- year stint as theater critic.

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