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Former TV producer reveals secrets about America’s most famous news anchors in explosive new memoir.
Ira Rosen, who worked 60 minutes and 20/20 over a four-decade span, makes several scathing evaluations in his tome Ticking Clock, set for release on February 16.
Rosen calls Diane Sawyer “double-sided”, Katie Couric “lazy” and “Chris Cuomo” “titled” in excerpts from the book obtained by the New York Post.
The Emmy Award-winning producer also reveals a secret rivalry between Sawyer and his co-host Barbara Walters, as well as a bitter, year-long feud between reporters father and son Mike and Chris Wallace.
Former TV producer reveals secrets about America’s most famous news anchors in explosive new memoir. Ira Rosen, who worked 60 minutes and 20/20 over a four-decade span, alleges Diane Sawyer and Babara Walters were locked in a bitter rivalry while working together at ABC. The pair are pictured in 1998
Rosen also alleges that there was a year-long bitter feud between the father and son of reporters Mike and Chris Wallace. The Wallaces are represented together in 2005
Rosen worked with Katie Couric during her five-year stint on 60 Minutes from 2006 and 2010. In his new book, he describes her as “lazy and disengaged.”
Rosen (right) has won dozens of Emmy awards during his illustrious 40-year career. He is pictured with 60 Minute presenter Bill Whitaker in 2016
Rosen began his career in the television news industry in 1980 when he landed a job at 60 Minutes.
There he entered into a long-term professional partnership with co-anchor Mike Wallace.
Wallace was considered one of the best TV journalists in the world, but Rosen says the anchor “ seemed to define his life by how many problems he could cause. ”
According to The Post, Wallace “was known for his ‘Neanderthal demeanor’ towards women, snapping their bra straps and slapping their buttocks.
Rosen writes that a produced woman even punched Wallace in the face after an alleged lead.
Meanwhile, Wallace would have liked to fight with his colleagues, regularly stealing stories from fellow anchors Ed Bradley and Morley Safer.
“Months went by in which Safer wouldn’t talk to Wallace, even though their offices were close together,” Rosen writes.
Wallace (center) is pictured with his colleagues at 60 Minutes in a cast photo taken in 1988. Morley Safer is pictured at far right
According to Rosen, Wallace also stole stories from his own son, Chris, who has now become a full-fledged TV news anchor.
In 1997, Chris Wallace reportedly got an interview with comedian Chris Rock while working for ABC.
However, Mike Wallace reportedly prompted Rock to do the interview with him on 60 Minutes, telling the comedian his show had better ratings than his son’s.
Rosen says young Wallace was hurt so much 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 pictured in 1994
Sawyer and Walters are seen in 2014. Despite a public friendship, the couple were often in fierce competition with each other, Rosen claims
During this time, Rosen also worked closely with Diane Sawyer and describes her in her new memoirs as “two-faced.”
“If she was too friendly and started kissing you on the cheek to say hello, there’s a good chance she’ll trash you on the back,” Rosen writes.
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 instance Sawyer smiled as he greeted Walters before stepping into an elevator and declaring: ‘I hate this woman. Don’t believe a word she says. She stabs me whenever she has the chance ”.
The two were paired up to host a 20/20 Sunday on ABC in the late 1990s, but things reportedly changed as they argued for the most airtime.
They even counted the number of words each had, introducing the stories. It was a total disaster, ”says Rosen.
The New York Post reports Rosen found Cuomo ‘titled’ and displaying ‘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 displaying “caustic arrogance.”
Cuomo’s father served as governor of New York and his famous last name undoubtedly contributed to his confidence.
Rosen – who by then had gained two decades of experience in the news industry – was invited to help Cuomo, who was new to the industry.
But Cuomo reportedly greeted Rosen, saying: ‘I understand that you are my new bitch. ‘
“He lost me by good morning,” Rosen writes in her book.
Rosen claims Couric went for a softball style when interviewing Hillary Clinton as she ran for president in 2008. The couple are pictured four years earlier in 2004.
But, perhaps, Rosen reserves her most scathing assessment for Katie Couric, who worked 60 Minutes from 2006-2011.
‘[Couric was] lazy and disengaged, and thought she was smarter than all of us. She wasn’t, ”he writes sharply.
He claims that Couric opted for softball questions when interviewing Hillary Clinton while she was running for president in 2008.
The decision angered Rosen, who produced the segment.
‘I kept thinking,’ They pay Katie $ 15 million a year for this? ‘ he writes.
Rosen still works in the news business at the age of 66 and appears to thrive on behind-the-scenes drama and antics from America’s most famous presenters.
“I’d rather work with a talented ** hole than a nice, untalented person,” he concludes in Ticking Clock.
“For that, they pay Katie $ 15 million a year?” Rosen was not impressed with Couric’s mellow interview with Clinton. The pair are seen in 2013
Ira Rosen’s memoir ticking clock set to release on February 16
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