A former TV producer is revealing secrets about America’s most famous news anchors in an explosive new memoir.
Ira Rosen, who has worked for 60 minutes and 20/20 over four decades, makes several compelling assessments in her book Ticking Clock, due for release on February 16.
Rosen marks Diane Sawyer as’ two-faced ‘, Katie Couric as’ lazy’ and ‘Chris Cuomo as’ titled’ in excerpts from the book obtained by The New York Post.
The Emmy-winning producer also reveals a secret rivalry between Sawyer and his co-anchor Barbara Walters, as well as a bitter year-long feud between father and son journalists Mike and Chris Wallace.
A former TV producer is revealing secrets about America’s most famous news anchors in an explosive new memoir. Ira Rosen, who has worked on 60 Minutes and 20/20 for four decades, claims that Diane Sawyer and Babara Walters were caught up in a bitter rivalry while working together at ABC. The pair is pictured in 1998
Rosen also claims that there was a bitter year-long feud between father and son journalists Mike and Chris Wallace. The Wallaces are portrayed together in 2005
Rosen worked with Katie Couric during her five-year period in 60 minutes of 2006 and 2010. In her new book, he describes her as ‘lazy and disinterested’
Rosen (right) has won dozens of Emmy awards over his illustrious 40-year career. He is portrayed with 60 Minutes anchor Bill Whitaker in 2016
Rosen started his career in the TV news industry in 1980, when he got a job at 60 Minutes.
There, he began a complicated long-term professional partnership with co-anchor Mike Wallace.
Wallace was considered one of the greatest TV journalists in the world, but Rosen says the anchor “seemed to define his life by the amount of problems he could cause”.
According to the Post, Wallace ‘was notorious for his’ Neanderthal behavior’ towards women, breaking the bra straps and hitting the buttocks.
Rosen writes that a produced woman even slapped Wallace in the face after an alleged breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Wallace reportedly enjoyed sparking fights with his co-workers, regularly stealing stories from other anchors Ed Bradley and Morley Safer.
“Months would pass when Safer did not speak to Wallace, although his offices were neighbors,” writes Rosen.
Wallace (in the center) is depicted with his colleagues from 60 Minutes in a cast photo taken in 1988. Morley Safer is depicted on the far right
According to Rosen, Wallace also stole stories from his own son, Chris, who has now become a famous TV news anchor in his own right.
In 1997, Chris Wallace got an interview with comedian Chris Rock while working at ABC.
However, Mike Wallace reportedly lured Rock to do an interview with him on 60 Minutes, telling the comedian that his show had a better audience than his son’s.
Rosen says the youngest Wallace was so hurt by his father’s move that they didn’t speak for an entire year.
Sawyer worked at ABC alongside Barbara Walters, where the two publicly professed their admiration for each other. They are depicted in 1994
Sawyer and Walters are seen in 2014. Despite a public friendship, the pair was often in close competition with each other, Rosen says
Meanwhile, Rosen has also worked closely with Diane Sawyer and describes her in her new memories as ‘two faces’.
“If she was overly friendly and started kissing you on the cheek to say hello, chances are she was destroying you from behind,” writes Rosen.
Sawyer worked at ABC alongside Barbara Walters, where the two publicly professed their admiration for each other.
But behind the scenes, the two were often far from friendly, according to Rosen.
He writes that, in one case, Sawyer smiled as he greeted Walters before entering the elevator and declaring, ‘I hate that woman. Don’t believe a word of what it says. She stabs me whenever she can. ‘
The two women formed pairs to host a 20/20 Sunday at ABC in the late 1990s, but the situation reportedly eased as they competed to see who got the most broadcast time.
‘They even counted the number of words each had, presenting the stories. It was a total disaster, ‘says Rosen.
The New York Post reports that Rosen found Cuomo ‘titled’ and exhibiting ‘caustic arrogance’ when they met in 2003
Meanwhile, in 2003, Rosen met Chris Cuomo, who had started working at ABC.
The New York Post reports that Rosen found Cuomo ‘titled’ and exhibiting ‘caustic arrogance’.
Cuomo’s father once served as governor of New York, and his surname has undoubtedly helped boost his confidence.
Rosen – who by that time had already acquired two decades of experience in the news industry – was invited to help guide Cuomo, who was new to the industry.
But Cuomo allegedly greeted Rosen saying: ‘I understand that you are my new b *** h. ”
“He lost me in hello,” Rosen writes in his book.
Rosen says that Couric opted for a softball style while interviewing Hillary Clinton while she ran for president in 2008. The duo is portrayed four years earlier, in 2004
But, perhaps, Rosen reserves his strongest assessment for Katie Couric, who worked on 60 Minutes from 2006 to 2011.
‘[Couric was] lazy and uncommitted, and thought she was smarter than all of us. She wasn’t, ‘he writes harshly.
He says Couric opted for softball questions when interviewing Hillary Clinton while she ran for president in 2008.
The decision angered Rosen, who was producing the segment.
‘I kept thinking,’ So, are they paying Katie $ 15 million a year? ‘ he writes.
Rosen is still working in the news market at 66 years of age and seems to be successful in the backstage drama and antics of America’s most famous anchors.
‘I prefer to work with a ** talented hole than with a cool person without talent’, he concludes in Ticking Clock.
‘So, are they paying Katie $ 15 million a year?’ Rosen was not impressed by Couric’s cute interview with Clinton. The pair is seen in 2013
Ira Rosen’s memoir, Ticking Clock, due out February 16