I am thrilled to be joining 'CBS News' and to have the opportunity to collaborate with some of our profession's most talented journalists.
I'm so impressed with the quality of the 'Evening News.'
Stretching back nearly three decades, Brian Williams and I have forged an enduring friendship. It all began in 1986 at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia and has resulted in a set of noteworthy experiences, amazing successes, and a bunch of trips to NASCAR speedways.
Journalism is, indeed, a noble calling, and I have much I hope to accomplish in the next phase of my career.
Every weekend I go to the guitar bar in Hoboken and do a jam session.
It is impossible to fully express how much I respect the people of 'NBC News.'
At the heart of 'CBS News' is a group of inspiring, enterprising people led by the outstanding team of David Rhodes and Jeff Fager.
Working in network news is not a solitary pursuit; it is the ultimate 'team sport,' in which success is derived from the collective performances of remarkable people united in purpose and dedication.
When you have a political environment that is being so heavily influenced by the Tea Party that calls for shrinking the size of government, you can't ignore it. There are political realities.
I like what Don Imus has done through the years to help kids with cancer at the Imus Ranch. He has raised awareness about autism. He has done any number of good things.
At the end of the day, my focus will be to make the 'Evening News' as strong from an editorial perspective as it possibly can be.
It is every producer's dream to be part of a dedicated, hard-working team that produces an outstanding broadcast like the 'CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley.'
My favorite band is Yes. They are all phenomenal musicians, and yes, this means I'm subject to ridicule from co-workers and occasionally from my wife, three kids, and even our Labradoodle pup.
The 'Evening News' is going to have a long run, both as a broadcast and as a presence online and on cellphones. It is a franchise with a very rich tradition.
I'm a Philadelphia sports fanatic. I still watch Phillies games on my iPad, which is basically admitting to having daily torture sessions.
I drive my family nuts because when I watch something on TV, I'm likely to watch it with a bass guitar. But I don't plug it in!
I'm not one of these guys who begins the day thinking about what kind of an impact I can have. I instead think about it as what kind of work are we going to do today, how can we make the broadcast better, how can we work as a team, how can we draw on the resources of CBS overall and use them to make the 'Evening News' that much stronger.
I always encourage people in the early parts of their career to focus on writing. If you can communicate clearly, if you can articulate a thought, if you can write a great story, then you're going to be successful.
You can take the boy out of Philly but not the Philly out of the boy. It shapes my world view. It was a great place to grow up.
Philadelphians are intensely loyal. They don't switch teams even when the Sixers lose by 63 points or the Phillies finish last in the NL East.
