description The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour Overview
The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour was an evening television news program broadcast by PBS in the United States and co-anchored by journalists Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer. Its roots lay in The Robert MacNeil Report, which began in 1975 and became The MacNeil/Lehrer Report in 1976 before expanding to an hour in 1983. The program was distinguished by commercial-free broadcasts, extended interviews, and detailed treatment of public affairs rather than short news segments.
help The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour FAQ
Why did The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour use two anchors in different cities?
Robert MacNeil generally anchored from New York and Jim Lehrer from Washington, allowing the program to draw on both media centers. Their extended interviews and measured exchanges became a defining alternative to faster commercial-network newscasts.
How did The Robert MacNeil Report become The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour?
The Robert MacNeil Report began in 1975 and became The MacNeil/Lehrer Report in 1976. In 1983 it expanded from a half-hour format into The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.
What happened to the program after Robert MacNeil retired?
MacNeil retired from regular anchoring in 1995, after which the broadcast became The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. The same PBS news lineage continues today under the title PBS News Hour.
How was MacNeil/Lehrer's reporting style different from the major network news shows?
It devoted unusually long stretches to interviews, policy arguments, and opposing viewpoints instead of relying mainly on brief correspondent packages. As a public-television program, it also ran without commercial breaks.
explore Explore More
Similar to The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
compare_arrows Compare: The CBS Evening News with Wa... See all arrow_forward
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
