CBS Actually Interrupted Programming For ‘Special Report’ With Scott Pelley to Announce Mary Tyler Moore Death

Network “Special Reports” tend to be reserved for the most important, grave or significant stories. With the ominous music and the lead network anchors at the desk, the network is announcing that this is a story of major national import such that they are going to pre-empt programming for the announcement.

Earlier today, CBS interrupted its daytime programming to announce the death of Mary Tyler Moore. Now, we loved Mary Tyler Moore and recognize that she was a national icon, particularly at CBS where the Mary Tyler Moore Show aired. But interrupting regular programming to announce her death?

She starred on the Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966, which ran on CBS, and then her own show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which was incredibly successful on CBS from 1970 to 1977. With its focus on a woman who was independent- both working and unmarried- it was groundbreaking. She won several Emmy awards for her work on both shows. But a Special Report with the network’s lead anchor in 2017? None of the other broadcast networks followed suit. What do you think?

[image via screen grab]

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