Linda Ellerbee
Encyclopedia
Linda Ellerbee is an American
journalist
who is most known for several jobs at NBC News
, including Washington, DC correspondent, host of the Nickelodeon
network's Nick News, and reporter and co-anchor of NBC News Overnight
, which was recognized by the jurors of the duPont Columbia Awards as "possibly the best written and most intelligent news program ever."
. She attended River Oaks Elementary School
, Lanier Middle School
, and Lamar High School
in Houston, Texas
.
She also attended Vanderbilt University
in Nashville
, Tennessee
, although she quit in 1964 without graduating.
Ellerbee traveled around the country for some time afterword, working itinerant jobs in radio. In her own words: After a stint working for Terry Miller
, majority leader
of the Alaska Senate
, she was hired by the Dallas bureau of the Associated Press
to write copy. She claims to have been fired after writing a catty personal letter on the AP's word processor
s and accidentally sending the letter out on the wire. The letter brought her to the attention of CBS
television affiliate KHOU-TV, which hired her to replace Jessica Savitch
in January 1973. Within several months she was hired by New York's WCBS-TV
.
job was on the short-lived Weekend
. Ellerbee was added to the Weekend broadcast team when the show moved from a late-night time slot into direct prime time
competition with CBS
's 60 Minutes
. She would end her stories with the phrase, "And so it goes." A couple of years later, Ellerbee was placed in the anchor chair again, this time on NBC News Overnight
, where her trademark writing style made the show somewhat reminiscent of her stint on Weekend. She ended each broadcast with a short, usually wry, commentary, signing off for the night with her catch-phrase, "And so it goes," which later became the title of her first memoir. While at NBC, Ellerbee worked with Jessica Savitch
; when Savitch's drug problems became apparent Ellerbee tried to organize an intervention, but Savitch died before that happened.
In 1986, after the cancellation of Overnight, Ellerbee moved to rival network ABC
. There she served as a reporter for the morning program Good Morning America
. At ABC, Ellerbee was able to co-write and co-anchor (with Ray Gandolf) Our World, a weekly primetime historical series. She won an Emmy Award for her work on that program.
In 1987, Ellerbee and her life and business partner Rolfe Tessem left network news to start their own production company, Lucky Duck Productions. The company has produced programs for every major cable network, and has as its flagship program Nick News, a news program for children on Nickelodeon
. That show has received many awards: three Peabody Awards (including one personal Peabody given to Ellerbee for her coverage of the Clinton investigation), another duPont Columbia Award and three Emmys. In 2004, Ellerbee was honored with an Emmy for her WE: Women’s Entertainment network series When I Was a Girl.
In 1989, she guest-starred as herself in an episode of the sitcom Murphy Brown
. The episode "Summer of '77" referenced that Ellerbee had auditioned for the anchor job which eventually went to the title character, played by Candice Bergen
. Murphy Brown also accuses Ellerbee of stealing her catchphrase "And so it goes..." from her during a long haul flight. The two reminisce with Ellerbee saying she might like to go back to an old network job, and Brown wanting to take some time off to write a book. Both reply with "Nahh...".
Her autobiography And So It Goes was published in 1986. A second book of memoirs, Move on: Adventures in the Real World was published in 1992 and third, Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table in 2005. In addition, she has authored an eight-part series of Girl Reporter books for young people, as well as a syndicated newspaper column.
In 1992, Ellerbee was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. Since then, Ellerbee spends much of her time speaking to groups about how she fought the cancer and how women need to fight not only the disease and for better medical treatments of it, but to laugh in the face of cancer as well.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who is most known for several jobs at NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
, including Washington, DC correspondent, host of the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
network's Nick News, and reporter and co-anchor of NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight was a television news program on the NBC television network airing weekday mornings from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. from July 5, 1982 to December 3, 1983 for 367 telecasts...
, which was recognized by the jurors of the duPont Columbia Awards as "possibly the best written and most intelligent news program ever."
Early life
Ellerbee was born Linda Jane Smith in Bryan, TexasBryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
. She attended River Oaks Elementary School
River Oaks Elementary School (Houston)
River Oaks Elementary School is a magnet Vanguard school for the Houston Independent School District. It is located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States and functions as a neighborhood school for the River Oaks, Avalon Place, Oak Estates, and Royden Oaks neighborhoods in...
, Lanier Middle School
Lanier Middle School (Houston)
Sidney Lanier Middle School is an internal charter middle school located at 2600 Woodhead Street in Houston, Texas, United States, with a ZIP code of 77098...
, and Lamar High School
Lamar High School (Houston)
Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3325 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States, with a zip code of 77098...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
She also attended Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, although she quit in 1964 without graduating.
Ellerbee traveled around the country for some time afterword, working itinerant jobs in radio. In her own words: After a stint working for Terry Miller
Terry Miller (politician)
Terry Miller was the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, 1978–1982.Miller was born in San Francisco, California. His father, Conrad B. Miller, came to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1949 and soon began work as a fur trader in rural Alaska...
, majority leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
of the Alaska Senate
Alaska Senate
The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people . Senators serve four-year terms, without term...
, she was hired by the Dallas bureau of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
to write copy. She claims to have been fired after writing a catty personal letter on the AP's word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
s and accidentally sending the letter out on the wire. The letter brought her to the attention of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television affiliate KHOU-TV, which hired her to replace Jessica Savitch
Jessica Savitch
Jessica Beth Savitch was an American television broadcaster and news reporter, host of PBS' Frontline and New York weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News during the short-lived Roger Mudd/Tom Brokaw era....
in January 1973. Within several months she was hired by New York's WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
.
Career
At NBC, Ellerbee worked as a reporter on The Today Show. Her first anchorNews presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
job was on the short-lived Weekend
Weekend (news program)
Weekend was a television newsmagazine that ran on NBC from 1974 to 1979. It was originally aired in the same time slot as Saturday Night Live, rotating in on those weekends when the SNL cast was not producing a show, which averaged about once per month...
. Ellerbee was added to the Weekend broadcast team when the show moved from a late-night time slot into direct prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
competition with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. She would end her stories with the phrase, "And so it goes." A couple of years later, Ellerbee was placed in the anchor chair again, this time on NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight
NBC News Overnight was a television news program on the NBC television network airing weekday mornings from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. from July 5, 1982 to December 3, 1983 for 367 telecasts...
, where her trademark writing style made the show somewhat reminiscent of her stint on Weekend. She ended each broadcast with a short, usually wry, commentary, signing off for the night with her catch-phrase, "And so it goes," which later became the title of her first memoir. While at NBC, Ellerbee worked with Jessica Savitch
Jessica Savitch
Jessica Beth Savitch was an American television broadcaster and news reporter, host of PBS' Frontline and New York weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News during the short-lived Roger Mudd/Tom Brokaw era....
; when Savitch's drug problems became apparent Ellerbee tried to organize an intervention, but Savitch died before that happened.
In 1986, after the cancellation of Overnight, Ellerbee moved to rival network ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. There she served as a reporter for the morning program Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. At ABC, Ellerbee was able to co-write and co-anchor (with Ray Gandolf) Our World, a weekly primetime historical series. She won an Emmy Award for her work on that program.
In 1987, Ellerbee and her life and business partner Rolfe Tessem left network news to start their own production company, Lucky Duck Productions. The company has produced programs for every major cable network, and has as its flagship program Nick News, a news program for children on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. That show has received many awards: three Peabody Awards (including one personal Peabody given to Ellerbee for her coverage of the Clinton investigation), another duPont Columbia Award and three Emmys. In 2004, Ellerbee was honored with an Emmy for her WE: Women’s Entertainment network series When I Was a Girl.
In 1989, she guest-starred as herself in an episode of the sitcom Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television...
. The episode "Summer of '77" referenced that Ellerbee had auditioned for the anchor job which eventually went to the title character, played by Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
. Murphy Brown also accuses Ellerbee of stealing her catchphrase "And so it goes..." from her during a long haul flight. The two reminisce with Ellerbee saying she might like to go back to an old network job, and Brown wanting to take some time off to write a book. Both reply with "Nahh...".
Her autobiography And So It Goes was published in 1986. A second book of memoirs, Move on: Adventures in the Real World was published in 1992 and third, Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table in 2005. In addition, she has authored an eight-part series of Girl Reporter books for young people, as well as a syndicated newspaper column.
In 1992, Ellerbee was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. Since then, Ellerbee spends much of her time speaking to groups about how she fought the cancer and how women need to fight not only the disease and for better medical treatments of it, but to laugh in the face of cancer as well.
Personal life
Linda married Mac Smith in 1964, but divorced in 1966. In 1968 She married Van Veselka and had two children, Vanessa and Joshua. In 1971, Linda and Van divorced. In 1973 Linda married Tom Ellerbee but they divorced the following year.Television
- 1978-79: Weekend
- 1979-82: NBC Nightly News
- 1982-84: NBC News Overnight
- 1984: Summer Sunday
- 1984-86: Today
- 1986-87: Our World
- 1991-current: Nick News
Other
- Disc jockey at WSDM-FMWSDM-FMWSDM-FM is an FM radio station licensed to the city of Brazil, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 92.7 MHz, FM channel 224. The studios are located at 1301 Ohio Street in Terre Haute, Indiana.-History:...
Chicago 1964-65 - Program director, KSJOKSJOKSJO is a commercial radio station in San Jose, California, and broadcasts to the San Francisco Bay Area on 92.3 FM. KSJO currently airs a Chinese format branded as "92.3 KSJO".-History:...
San Francisco, 1967-68 - Reporter, KJNOKJNOKJNO is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Juneau, Alaska, USA, the station serves the Alaska Panhandle area. The stations studios are at the Juneau Radio Center, which is home to KINY, KTKU, KSUP....
Juneau, Alaska, 1969-72 - News writer, Associated Press in Dallas, 1972
- Television reporter, KHOUKHOU-TVKHOU is the CBS affiliate television station in Houston, Texas. Serving Greater Houston, it is owned by the Belo Corporation and broadcasts on digital and PSIP channel 11...
in Houston, Texas, 1972-73 - General assignment reporter, WCBS-TVWCBS-TVWCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York City, 1973-76 - Reporter, the Washington bureau of NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
, 1976-78 - Co-anchor, network news magazine Weekend Weekend (news program)Weekend was a television newsmagazine that ran on NBC from 1974 to 1979. It was originally aired in the same time slot as Saturday Night Live, rotating in on those weekends when the SNL cast was not producing a show, which averaged about once per month...
, 1978-79 - Correspondent, NBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, 1979-82 - Co-anchor, NBC News OvernightNBC News OvernightNBC News Overnight was a television news program on the NBC television network airing weekday mornings from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. from July 5, 1982 to December 3, 1983 for 367 telecasts...
, 1982-84 - Co-anchor, Summer Sunday, 1984
- Reporter, Today, 1984-86
- Reporter, Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, 1986 - Anchor, Our World (TV series), 1986-87
- Commentator, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, 1989 - President, Lucky Duck Productions, since 1987
- Producer, writer, and host, Nick News since 1993
- Writer, host, On the Record
- On-line production with MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, since 1996
External links
- Linda Ellerbee biography on the Museum of Broadcast CommunicationsMuseum of Broadcast CommunicationsThe Museum of Broadcast Communications is an American museum that currently exists exclusively on the Internet and not in any physical capacity. Its stated mission is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain...
website - MP3 of "Connecting with Kids" feature on The Online NewsHour