The Robert MacNeil Report

On October 20 1975 a new evening television news program first broadcasted weeknights on PBS in the United States. Unlike most other evening newscasts in the country, it is an hour in length. The program runs longer segments than most other news outlets in the U.S., with in-depth coverage of the subjects involved. The NewsHour avoids the use of sound bites, playing back extended portions of news conferences and holding interviews that last several minutes. The program was initially hosted by Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer, but MacNeil left the spotlight in 1995. The show continues to be produced by their joint production company, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. Broadcast History MacNeil and Lehrer had covered the United States Senate Watergate hearings for PBS starting in 1973, which led to an Emmy Award. This recognition helped them as they worked to create "The Robert MacNeil Report" with Jim Lehrer as a half-hour local news