At the time, I had been out of work for almost a year after losing my job as a weekend anchor and a 60 Minutes contributor at CBS News. In the wake of a scandal about a 60 Minutes story on George Bush’s military record and a management shake-up, I was let go with hardly any notice and little financial cushion. I spent the year that followed searching for a job with the help of an agent who arranged meetings for me with executives at the various broadcast and cable networks. Every month, my prospects went down a rung. First, my agent was able to set up meetings with network presidents. Then I was meeting with vice presidents, then talent recruiters. Before long, I could barely get an appointment with anyone. I was nearly forty years old, and my career was in shambles—basically I was old news. My best days appeared to be behind me, and I wasn’t considered a worthy investment. After months of fruitless searching, I realized the right strategy was to start over. I had worked at NBC’s cable division earlier in my career, and I had liked it there.
