Mudd, Angered by ‘1986’ Cancellation, Leaves NBC for PBS
Veteran news correspondent Roger Mudd is leaving NBC in a bitter dispute over his canceled news magazine show “1986” and will join “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” on PBS, officials said today.
NBC said it reached a settlement on the remainder of Mudd’s contract, which guaranteed him more than $1 million a year until 1990. Mudd will join “MacNeil-Lehrer” March 1 and will contribute regular essays, a PBS spokeswoman said.
Mudd has publicly expressed his anger at NBC for canceling the newsmagazine “1986,” a weekly prime-time show in which he shared hosting duties with Connie Chung.
Mudd said in a statement that he greatly respects Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer and believes “we share the same priorities. News comes before the numbers and the fairness comes before the flash.”
Mudd left CBS seven years ago, reportedly angered over Dan Rather’s appointment as anchor of “CBS Evening News.”
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