“Maybe they will call me back at some point and ask if this old guy wants to do something else,” he quips.

Ryan helped launch the Sunday public affairs show in 1996, before Fox News Channel even officially launched.

“I was telling our staff, when I first walked into our bureau here, there really was nothing,” Ryan says. “There was no chairs, no lamps, tables dangling from ceilings from when the prior tenant had left the facility, so we literally had to build—from scratch—a world class network news bureau.

“Where we were a startup before, we are now a mature news organization, but we still have the mindset of a startup, which I think is good and makes us healthy,” he added.

At “Today,” Ryan worked closely with household names like Bryant Gumbel, Jane Pauley and Tom Brokaw. When asked about some of the more memorable events that he has covered in his career, a major event across the pond came to mind.

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The pair had some advice for Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski about working the morning shift:

“If you told the 25-year old Jane that she would still–at 62– be anywhere near a camera [whispers]in high definition… we are still the cool kids,” Pauley said.

“We had maybe a third of the staff they now have on the “Today” show, and we didn’t have the backing of the network, which was a little chaotic at the time,” Brokaw said.

WATCH:

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Zucker’s mother was a teacher at Miami’s New World School of the Arts. Klein’s father, former principal of New York’s famed LaGuardia High School of Music and the Arts, was New World’s founding provost. The two became good friends.

At the time, Jonathan Klein discounted the Zucker stories as “the exaggerations of a Jewish mother,” he recalls. “I heard about this amazing kid and all his successes. When I finally met him, he turned out to be more amazing than even his publicist — his mother — had said.”

Zucker, 47, named last week as president of CNN Worldwide, will need plenty of “amazing” to turn things around at its foundering flagship network, CNN/U.S. But if anyone can do it, he can, according to Klein and numerous others.

“Jeff would live in a control room if he could,” says Klein (left), who’s launching another digital media company and has sold “a few” TV pilots.

“The staff is ecstatic to have a real news guy, a Hall of Famer in the news business, to run things,” Klein adds. “It really craves his brand of bold, dynamic leadership. He’s sure to bring a fresh perspective.”

According to several CNN employees – none of whom would speak for attribution – the beleaguered New York staff is practically counting the minutes until Zucker takes over next month. In a CNN first, he will be based out of New York instead of Atlanta – another plus, they say.

“I’m thrilled,” says a veteran on-air talent. “The place has obviously been drifting – no progress, no vision, no fixing of mistakes. It’s always great to be there for big breaking stories, but on a day-by-day basis, we’re getting slaughtered.”

A longtime CNN producer says the staff has been demoralized by a series of leaders with inadequate TV skills . “A lot of people in charge haven’t had the resume to do the job. They talk big, but they don’t have the capacity to deliver. It’s been mystifying how unqualified people have been hired, over and over again.

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Tampa Bay Times

When Curry was forced off the show amid a tearful goodbye, I cautioned that NBC couldn’t let new female co-anchor Savannah Guthrie become the hated replacement the way Deborah Norville was back when Jane Pauley left back in the late ’80s.

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NBC News threw a party last night, celebrating the 20th anniversary of its primetime newsmagazine “Dateline.”

While the mood was celebratory, it was hard to escape the elephant in the room. In an address to guests at the event, senior EP David Corvo paid tribute to a number of former “Dateline” staffers, including former anchor Ann Curry who bid farewell to the “Today” show earlier in the day.

“Ann had her own sweet, persistent way of coming into my office, day after day, trying to push us to do certain types of stories that we weren’t doing,” Corvo said. “Her legacy probably on the show more than anything else is ‘America Now,’ which has gotten a lot of awards, was fun to produce and made a difference in some people’s lives, which is what Ann is dedicated to.”

Dateline EP Liz Cole likened the party to a “family reunion,” and it did feel that way. TVNewser spotted Hoda Kotb (who at one point danced in the DJ booth), correspondents Chris Hansen, and Keith Morrison, original anchor Jane Pauley (but not Stone Phillips) and former “Dateline” correspondent and current Fox News anchor Jon Scott. The event, held at Catch in New York’s Meatpacking District, was the second 20th anniversary party for the series in less than a year (see our report from the first one, here). Former NBC News president and “Dateline” EP Neal Shapiro was there, as was current NBC News chief Steve Capus, who praised the program:

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What happened? Curry had a theory, and it involved a certain weather anchor:

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On “Today” this morning, three of “Dateline’”s longtime hosts, Jane Pauley, Lester Holt and Ann Curry reflected on their time with the program.

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The show’s host, Lester Holt will present highlights of the last 20 years, including new interviews from some of the most memorable stories: Jane Pauley‘s 2003 chat with Michael J. Fox about his Parkinson’s and Tom Brokaw‘s 2005 profile of Aron Ralston, the hiker featured in the film 127 Hours.

From big interviews to murder mysteries, to hidden-camera investigations and documentaries, the show has seen many adjustments over the years.

“‘Dateline’ has gone through many changes,” says Senior EP David Corvo, “but one thing that hasn’t changed is the loyalty and enthusiasm of its audience. We are grateful for that.”

“Dateline NBC” made its debut in 1992 and suffered a serious black eye a few months in. In November 1992, Dateline aired a report titled “Waiting to Explode” about GM pickups allegedly exploding upon impact during accidents due to the poor design of fuel tanks. “Dateline” set up a low speed accident showing the the fuel tank explode. But, unbeknownst to viewers, NBC producers rigged the truck with an incendiary device. GM filed an anti-defamation/libel lawsuit against NBC which was settled. Dateline’s EP and two other producers were dismissed and NBC News president Michael Gartner resigned under pressure.

Dateline’s 20th Anniversary Special airs Tuesday at 10pmET/PT, 9pmCT Tuesday night.

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Among them Matt Lauer who will be in attendance tonight. Other tvnewsers scheduled to attend: Ann Curry, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams, Ann Coulter, Arianna Huffington, Willie Geist, Jane Pauley, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Ayman Mohyeldin. They’ll be rubbing shoulders with the likes of honorees Chelsea Handler, Kristen Wiig, Jeremy Lin, and Victor Cruz. And we’ll let you know if attendee Greta Van Susteren will have a chance to chat with comedian and honoree Louis C.K., considering their stormy past.

FishbowlNY will be on the red carpet so look for a report tomorrow.

(Photo: Gillian Laub for TIME)

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The TV critics are assessing last week’s morning show stunts.

“Television news now feasts on fame, the gaudier the better, with journalistic credentials a mere afterthought,” writes Newsweek/Daily Beast’s Howie Kurtz, who talked to two former “Today” show hosts about last week’s ratings grabbers — including Sarah Palin co-hosting last Tuesday — a response to Katie Couric‘s fill-in on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

The star-making machinery has changed. When Today tapped Jane Pauley in 1976, she says, “I was 25 years old, four years out of college. I was extremely unknown.” Today alumnus Bryant Gumbel, who says he was “embarrassed” by the Palin stint, believes hosts “used to be judged not just on their popularity level but the extent to which they were capable of interviewing someone or reporting on a situation, or able to have a degree of gravitas. Now that is secondary to being popular.”

The New York Times’ Bill Carter and Brian Stelter sum up the week and the ongoing horse race between “Today” and “GMA,” revealing Katie Couric could return to ABC’s mornings:

Senior ABC staff members characterized NBC’s stunt bookings as desperate. But those at NBC suggested that ABC’s use of Ms. Couric, who left ‘Today’ in 2006, and the overall win-at-all-costs approach showed desperation. [GMA Senior EP Tom] Cibrowski disputed that and said Ms. Couric could fill in again in the future, perhaps when Mr. Stephanopoulos takes a vacation.

As of Thursday’s ratings, “Today” was holding off the hard-charging “GMA.” We’ll have Friday’s Fast National numbers this afternoon, and final weekly ratings for last week on Thursday.

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The program featured congratulations — and a proclamation — from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, President and First Lady Michelle Obama and a cadre of celebrities (Tom Hanks delivered the birthday cake), along with a number of retrospective packages, such as this one:

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Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs pose in the "Today" photo booth during the show's 60th Anniversary broadcast this morning.

Barbara Walters’ retirement timetable is none of our business.

“I know when I’m going to do it, and I’m fine about it,” says ABC’s Walters, 82. “When I leave, I’m not going to go do something else or go tackle something else. I have a wonderful, full private life. I will be just fine.”

Got that?

“The fact is, I’m still working, I feel great and I’m still doing very important stories,” she adds. “It’s been one of my busiest years. I’m on ‘The View’ three times a week, I went to Syria, I interviewed the Obamas before Christmas.”

The first female co-host of ‘Today,’ Walters returns to her former digs this morning as part of the show’s 60th anniversary celebration. She’ll be joined by fellow alums Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel, Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley and Hugh Downs, among others.

Breaking into the boys club of ‘Today’ hosts was no easy task for Walters in 1974. She had to do it over Frank McGee’s dead body. Literally.

The backstory: McGee had refused to do joint news interviews with Walters, who had sweated her way up from ‘Today Girl’ to reporter. For the veteran newsman, working with a woman “was a humiliation,” according to Walters, and ‘Today’ represented “a demotion.”

In the mindset of that era, TV-women “were supposed to do fashion shows and celebrities,” explains Walters. “When NBC hired me [as a writer-researcher in 1961], I wasn’t an actor or a model and I didn’t sing. It was a huge breakthrough just to put me on.”

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Other segments will include a tribute from President and Mrs. Obama, as well as an interview with a staffer who worked on the show in 1952. Public landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Bellagio Hotel, Niagara Falls and the CIRA Center will all be lit up in the “Today” colors.

This morning, “Today” also marked Matt Lauer‘s 15th anniversary as co-anchor. The 8:30 half hour began with the “Today” show open from Jan. 6, 1997, with Couric and Lauer (below). To celebrate, the Today.com put up its top 15 Lauer moments, including his very first day:

More on the 60th anniversary celebration, after the jump.

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In her acceptance speech, Amanpour, the host of ABC’s “This Week,” called journalism “a great endeavor; it is a sacred endeavor. It is a public service.”

“It’s hard work,” she told journalism students during a question and answer session before the awards ceremony. “Stand up, grab the microphone and don’t be afraid to ask the questions.”

Amanpour is the 28th recipient of the ASU award, which has previously been given to fellow ABCers Diane Sawyer and Cokie Roberts, as well as Brian Williams, Jane Pauley and Tom Brokaw.

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