Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes

by Ira Rosen

Two-time Peabody Award-winning writer and producer Ira Rosen reveals the intimate, untold stories of his decades at America’s most iconic news show. It’s a 60 Minutes story on 60 Minutes itself.

When producer Ira Rosen walked into the 60 Minutes offices in June 1980, he knew he was about to enter television history. His career catapulted him to the heights of TV journalism, breaking some of the most important stories in TV news. But behind the scenes was a war room of clashing producers, anchors, and the most formidable 60 Minutes figure: legendary correspondent Mike Wallace.

Based on decades of access and experience, Ira Rosen takes readers behind closed doors to offer an incisive look at the show that invented TV investigative journalism. With surprising humor, charm, and an eye for colorful detail, Rosen delivers an authoritative account of the unforgettable personalities that battled for prestige, credit, and the desire to scoop everyone else in the game. As Mike Wallace’s top producer, Rosen reveals the interview secrets that made Wallace’s work legendary, and the flaring temper that made him infamous. Later, as senior producer of ABC News Primetime Live and 20/20, Rosen exposes the competitive environment among famous colleagues like Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters, and the power plays between correspondents Chris Wallace, Anderson Cooper, and Chris Cuomo.

A master class in how TV news is made, Rosen shows readers how 60 Minutes puts together a story when sources are explosive, unreliable, and even dangerous. From unearthing shocking revelations from inside the Trump White House, to an outrageous proposition from Ghislaine Maxwell, to interviewing gangsters Joe Bonanno and John Gotti Jr., Ira Rosen was behind the scenes of 60 Minutes' most sensational stories.

Highly entertaining, dishy, and unforgettable, Ticking Clock is a never-before-told account of the most successful news show in American history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism, History, Memoir, Audiobook, Tv, Biography

336 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2021

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look behind the scenes of the one TV show, that after more than 50 years, I NEVER miss. Sadly, the author explains the number of prima donnas that presented the stories that were usually unearthed by producers, such as himself.
After awhile, Rosen is enticed to ABC to help start investigated journalism unit for several of their news magazines. More prima donnas.
Back to 60 Minutes but with different on-air personalities. The first who could never acknowledge the job of the producer. The last two were the people that Rosen always hoped he would work with.
A lot of dirt, but even more explanation of the exact job of a producer. Fascinating.

[Debbie Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw author Ira Rosen interviewed on tv recently and knew immediately I wanted to read his book Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes of 60 Minutes, as I watched that show for many years, and the subject matter is a virtual time capsule of my lifetime. I checked library digital offerings and immediately borrowed the Macmillan audiobook on Hoopla, unusual for a recent book (2/16/21) that it would have been available without a hold list. I’ve noticed Rosen has not done a lot of interviews that have been recorded online, a good way to get word out for this book that should be required reading for every boomer; it does not disappoint. Some say the truth is stranger than fiction, and this book represents that in spades, if for no other reason than truth has become the empty chair in almost all forms of 21st century discourse.

Some have criticized the book based on politics, but liars and scoundrels are bipartisan as well as vocationally omnipresent, and I didn’t find anything particularly off putting that would have precluded me from reading the book, if for no other reason than it represents Rosen’s opinions, not necessarily universal truths. If you’re a Mike Wallace fan, you probably won’t appreciate what is possibly the first unblinking, unvarnished depiction of the man. It certainly gave me a better understanding of what son Chris had to contend with growing up.

The public hungers for honesty and authenticity in media as in politics, and lines have long since blurred between interviewer and subject; this book reminds me of the Hollywood proverb “once you learn to fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.” It seems as in Hollywood, so goes the nation. Shows like 60 Minutes were must see tv for decades, and the behind the scene ego driven prima donna tyrants of earlier years have been replaced by new generations, while channel choices have increased exponentially. The conceptual value of a show like 60 Minutes still holds true, perhaps more so in today’s chaotic stew of global personalities, but with so much competition across numerous platforms, their clock may soon be silenced.

I haven’t tuned into 60 minutes for decades, the caustic arrogance of it’s talent diminished my appetite for its brand of journalism long ago, but I’ll still check out a segment online if it trends. Those like myself who could be happy watching news round the clock seek their sources according to how well any given show or platform meets their expectation of fairness, authenticity, timeliness, and honesty in coverage. We yearn for the journalistic integrity of Lois Lanes and Clark Kents in real life, while the industry overlooks the irony these fictions are almost impossible to detect in the profession. Faking sincerity will get you on the cover of Time, and get your show carried as long as ad revenues support it, but not a moment longer. The 60 Minutes clock stopped ticking for me a long time ago, but I’m glad Ira Rosen took the time to publish his account of the scenes we didn’t see.

[Glae R. Egoville · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of an insider's book


I am of 2 minds about Ira Rosen's Ticking Clock. Initially I felt that he was describing the schtetl from hell which were his early days at the maniacally competitive CBS. I excused his acceptance of their obnoxious personalities as a factor of his ambition and youth. Mike Wallace alone was too repulsive to imagine let alone work for. Implying that his job was enjoyable was not believable.
But as he matured and presumably gained self confidence ( or a tough hide) it was easier to read his book. The characters his 60 Minutes shows featured were fascinating. His chapters on Steve Bannon and John Gotti, Jr are interesting and displayed more depth than others. It became obvious that 60 Minutes had(has) a shelf life and it has reached it's sell by date. Politics today is neither authentic nor altruistic, merely self serving of whatever generation has the upper hand. The media has to allow them to preach or they won't appear in any venue that doesn't praise them. Ira left at the right time. He has written a pretty honest account of his tenure.

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers a lot of ground. The first half of the book could have been called "How much I hated working for the Wallace family". Rosen goes on and on about Mike Wallace and his son Chris. It does validate a lot of the rumors and assumptions I heard and made about some of the people he worked with and for. I think he could have been more critical on the Clintons but you expected it based on the tone of the book being left leaning, albeit covertly vs overtly for the most part.

Rosen's career behind the scenes has been incredibly fulfilling for him I would imagine. He was involved in covering many of the huge scandals our nation has seen. Some of them, I remember watching from the other side as a viewer. It is very interesting to see what went into producing a great show that at least I enjoyed. I am never disappointed when I read these books to find that some of these folks are great friends with some people you would never imagine. For instance I read a memoir from Tommy Davidson from In Living Color and one of his close friends was Michael Bolton.

In typical liberal attack, no book is complete without a thorough lashing of Trump. Obviously Rosen has an axe to grind with Trump because of Trump purchasing multiple country clubs where Rosen was a member. It is sad because although I agree that Trump can be obnoxious and rude, I think he did a good job as POTUS. Rosen writes that there was no wire tapping against Republicans, this does not make it true. Devon Nunez and other Republicans were in fact wiretapped. Additionally, known false information was provided by FBI and other government agencies to the courts, and Trump and his campaign were 100% spied on. The fact that the courts approved it based on false information is irrelevant. The fact that knowingly false information was provided, and provided by a political rival that was under investigation is chilling and should have landed all parties involved in prison. Of course he mentioned Charlottesville. Anyone worth their salt, would know that this is a bogus allegation and if you have an inch of integrity and read the entire transcript and in context, you would see the same.

I think the most comical things he said was the he thought Trump had the beginnings of Alzheimer's. Curiously absent was any comment on Biden and his cognitive decline. His comment about anti-fascism and saying "I wonder if she was thinking about Trump" in Chapter 33, Is comical since it is known that ANTIFA uses Fascism to force their "Anti-Fascism" rhetoric.

The book is great. I enjoyed it and recommend it.

[Slappy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A behind the scenes tell all about the glory years of 60 Minutes. How can you not like a book in which John Gotti comes off as the most decent person in the book, the author & his ego included.

[Debra B · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting book. It revealed a very ugly side to the industry that would shock the public if they knew. I'm afraid many of my idols have very heavy feet of clay.

[Alyssa Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very informative book, but it possesses the major flaw many memoirs have: the narrator is unreliable. I felt like there were a couple points where it seemed Rosen was lying through his teeth. Additionally, he did not seem very supportive of the survivors of sexual assault and honestly read like a slimy corporate ladder climber. I enjoyed reading the book, but especially toward the end it seemed like Rosen was merely just trying to list his many accomplishments to receive praise.

[Ty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure what my expectations were going in, but they were really not met. While this was purported to be a behind-the-scenes, tell-all type book, it glossed over a lot. The author went to great lengths to portray Mike Wallace as a jerk with little concern for anything outside his image and job but in the end tries to walk that back and redeem Wallace's portrayal. Imagine after the passing of someone you view as a friend and mentor you trash them openly (whether truth or fiction) but then realize the error of your ways and try to take back everything bad you said. The author's relationship with Wallace was clearly complicated, much like that a father-son, love-hate relationship. I found it interesting that the author did openly criticize anyone and everyone associated with Trump, but other than a brief foray into Nancy Pelosi's insider trading, there was very little dished on the party with which the author openly admits to being in allegiance. While bashing Trump and his allies took up a significant part of what was supposed to be a "behind the scenes" at 60 Minutes, it painted a picture very much in league with the established media narrative. While not a Trump apologist by any means, I found some of his tales to be a little tabloidesque and steeped in schadenfreude. Having said that, the author also tellingly says, "You will be punished if you buck the established narrative of the mainstream media." That line calls into question much of what he writes about political personalities. His self-portrayal was something of a crusader mixed with a reporter with tunnel vision: everyone he met of any import was an interview target whom he dogged until they relented or became less interesting. I find it particularly laughable that a television producer considers himself a reporter. As a former media relations and strategic communications professional, most of my contacts in television news openly admitted to me that they were not journalists, but entertainers. My own confirmation bias was satisfied to learn that many of the "correspondents" and on-air personalities were focused way more on self-image, competition for stories that would land them more awards and adulation, and their own pumped-up entitlement. While not universal in my own experience in the media world, there were plenty of ladder climbers with the same personality traits. As a former corporate spokesperson, strategic communications professional, and reporter, I found the book little more than bashing coworkers and political enemies. Since I listened to the Audible version, I must also add that the narrator of most of the book (other than intro and closing by the author) brought very little to the story, over-enunciating and delivering in a monotone.

[Dale Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ira Rosen’s memoir of 30 years as a Sixty Minutes producer makes for fascinating reading about what it took to get controversial subjects before the American people. His raw and unvarnished accounts of the people on both sides of the camera are detailed and un-sparing when it comes to the foibles of those who make the news and those who present it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter picked this out for me to read. After laying around the house for a while, I picked this book up, intending to read, figuring it would be boring. Much to my surprise, I found an awesome, awesome book. One of the best I've read in a very long time.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely story of television history. John Gotti, Jr toasts Rosen at retirement party. Behind the scenes details and infighting revealed. Do I sound like I wanted to be a journalist? Page turner!

[Chris Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories and a masterclass on interviewing.

[WM D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ticking clock was a awesome book. It took you behind the scenes of 60 minutes. I learned a lot about the people on the show . An must read for anyone who likes nonfiction

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I thought it would be. It didn't seem to be as much about this long-running news program as it is about the author and the people he knows, works with, and has met along the way. He doesn't seem to like anyone he works with, especially Mike Wallace. I didn't know producers went to such lengths to get the story and investigate it. He goes on and on about the stories he has worked on and the people he knows but much of it we already know if we follow the news and politics at all. The chapter about Donald Trump is probably the longest one of all but we already know most of it and the Trump supporters aren't going to believe it or don't care. We are told many times about the awards he has won. I felt that most of this book was very negative All of the stories are the ones he has worked on. I thought if this was a 'behind-the-scenes" book there were probably a lot more interesting stories than what was told here.

[Doug Eymer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While growing up and in addition to watching the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, my family gathered around our TV every Sunday night to watch 60 Minutes. Reading Ira Rosen's behind-the-scenes stories was a clear glimpse at the Mad Men's version of TV news journalism. Mike Wallace was an emotionally frail male chauvinist, Morley Safer and Kurt Vonnegut smoked cigarettes while playing tennis with the author, and Ed Bradley was quite the lady's man. The gripping and slightly gossipy text goes on and on.

I found it fascinating to learn of the role that a producer plays in bringing a story to the screen. During the pre-Internet era, Mr. Rosen describes jetting from one airport to the next to retrieve copies of the local newspapers so that he might begin to build a story. It would usually take a few days for West Coast newspapers to reach CBS offices, and Ira was constantly attempting to get the jump on a breaking news item that may have not yet reached New York City.

This book is a quick and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.

[Susanne Gulde · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book was interesting, but I thought it turned snarky before mid-way.
Too much information about some people, language and actions on their part, or the author's personal opinion about them.

[Tom Holehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind the scenes at one of the landmark television series of all time, producer Ira Rosen doesn't hold back in dishing the dirt about the egos, ambitions and out of control tempers of the big names in front of the cameras on "60 Minutes". Primary target here is Mike Wallace and, though not really surprising, Rosen's depiction of the incredibly insecure but openly hostile reporter is both loving and spewed with bile. To say his relationship borders on love/hate is pretty clear. He admires the genius of the man and credits his career to Wallace's leadership (if that's the word). This fast-paced memoir is chock full of juicy stories about Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Scott Pelley, John Gotti, Jr. (a friend!), Anderson Cooper, Andrew Cuomo and many more. There are surprises and only a few lulls and you really get the sense of how important and detailed the job of producer is. Rosen could be more open about his personal life, especially since this is a memoir of his 40+ years in the business, but the news he does reveal may be enough.

[Karen]

I enjoyed this look behind the scenes at 60 Minutes. I used to watch it long ago.
Sure are a lot of assholes in top anchor spots!

[Schuyler Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Producer Ira Rosen takes the reader on a salacious tour behind the scenes of CBS “60 minutes” for a tell-all accounting of the behavior of its well-known stable of correspondents. Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Steve Croft, Bill Whitaker, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, as well as mobsters, political figures, civil rights activists, and other famous people, have their indiscretions and bad habits fully disclosed You may wonder at reading about their peccadillos what prompted their willingness to give such revealing information, none of which casts a favorable personal light. The answer to that is simple, according to Levin. It was because they were asked. Questions are nearly always answered if asked in the right way and he’s a master at that.

Some of the wrongdoing is much in the news today. Bra snapping, unwanted kisses and hugs, indecent proposals, late-night bedroom visits, bottom groping, and other such unseeming behavior seems to be a staple around the studio. Public desire for the details of such conduct is also high. Details about such behavior are everyday occurrences with newspaper accounts, magazine articles, and TV coverage flooding current news with never-ending revelations leading to the damage of many careers in the public eye, although not as many as might be expected.

Damaged careers, according to Rosen’s account, don’t get much attention. Even public disclosure doesn’t appear to slow the behavior down, seemingly adding another feather in the headdress of the famous. The more the reports become public, the more the allegations grow. Easy money and fame seem to flow to the accusers, while not much happens to the perpetrator. Public displeasure seems tepid at best. I have to confess, however, to my own interest to such behavior. I enjoy reading reputable accounts of such behavior for some reason I can’t explain, a shortcoming no doubt connected to my nosiness. Rosen’s is certainly credible.

Rosen is no hack writer that looks in every corner for something nefarious going on. His research is extensive and well-grounded. The conduct is egregious and should not have widespread acceptance. But there you have it. Rosen found it to be alive and well and decided to tell us about it. Why? He’ll explain that somewhat in his book, although I’m not sure I picked up on it completely. No doubt residuals and royalties in the publication of his book had something to do with it. I would be more likely to read about it in a well-published and edited book than I would in a scandal mag. Something to do with credibility, I suppose.

If you are of the same bent, read this book. I can guarantee you will enjoy it.

Schuyler T Wallace
Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

[Keith Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's well written by someone clearly accustomed to, and comfortable with, story telling. In other words, it's easy to read, colorful, flows well, holds your attention and constantly entertains. Rosen is a producer who's won multiple awards. He spent the bulk of his career at Sixty Minutes, CBS' Sunday evening news magazine show and the principal focus of this behind-the-scenes book. But he also worked for several years at ABC's Prime Time Live, and includes many stories from there as well.

For a guy like me who grew up watching Sixty Minutes every week, this was a fun and interesting journey down Memory Lane. Rosen provides insider looks at many of the major stories of the last 40 years, from Three Mile Island in 1979 to the opiod epidemic in 2017. You get to see legendary news figures as they are when the cameras aren't on and before the edits, such as Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Eric Sevareid, Chris Wallace, Diane Sawyer, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley,  Lesley Stahl, Bob Simon, Charlie Rose, Bill Whitaker, Steve Kroft, and Anderson Cooper. And he provides interesting glimpses of famous people that I haven't seen elsewhere (I mean the insights, not the celebrities themselves), such as Marlon Brando, Jimmy Carter, Steve Bannon, John Gotti Jr., Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Tom Brady, Al Sharpton, Al Gore, and Kim Kardashian.

I strongly recommend this book.

[Claire Tunick · Rating 5 out of 5]

an eye opening tell-all

This book is a must-read for anyone with even a minimal interest in the events of the past several decades.

[Elaine Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ira Rosen has written an honest account of 60 Minutes. America loved 60 minutes from its start, and they have awards galore to prove their success. Rosen was hired to work for Mike Wallace and held other positions as well during his tenure. Watching from home, one would not know of the tension, competition, backstabbing and pressures that prevailed behind the scenes. Employees sometimes feared their bosses (Wallace and others) and women were subject to behavior that would not fly in today's "me too" culture. Rosen has done a good job telling of his pressure-filled jobs at 60 Minutes. A mesmerizing read.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent behind the scenes of one of television's best investigative journalish programs. Ira Rosen does not hold back on what it was like to work with Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Diane Sawyer, Leslie Stahl, Chris Wallace (when he was with ABC) and Bill Whitaker to name a few. He has nothing but praise for Whitaker and Stahl and why? Because they weren't a-holes let the rest of the bunch.
Rosen gives updates on most of the primary players and all I can for some of them is that karma is a bitch.
Well worth reading and a fast read at that.

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a regular view of 60 Minutes, though I watch an episode every now and then on Paramount+. And while I recognized a lot of the names - Mike Wallace, Bill Whitaker, Lesley Stahl, etc., - I only started catching occasional episodes in the last year, so the correspondents the author worked with - and the stories highlighted in this book - are before my time so to speak. But I found this memoir quite fascinating.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard-hitting and deep look behind the scenes of 60 Minutes, and a most unflattering portrait of Mike Wallace, who clearly grappled very poorly with his demons. This book was fascinating for its unvarnished looks at its subjects and the behind the scenes machinations of network news and journalism.

[Thomas J Coelho]

Well written, interesting story.

This is not the type of book I usually read. I started this and read in 72 hours. It kept my attention because it was interesting. The author did a great job.

[Dan Gilliatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book very fascinating. I hope we can all view the stories with a proper historical context. Maybe some of the people he talks about were not great guys to hangout or work with/for. It does not change my perception of the stories that they told.

[Romina Villaflor-Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very impressive take on the ins and outs of investigative journalism, I enjoyed the back stories behind the rise and fall of the most prominent people in the world of tv news (being an avowed news junkie).

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

By my unofficial count, Lesley Stahl is the only person in news he had nothing bad to say something about. Fascinating look at the business of news, esp 60 Minutes and CBS but also some of the news subjects - especially Presidents and hopefuls.

[Terrance D Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, Truth in Media

Iran's book was a good and fast read! You'll enjoy the behind the scenes true characteristics of of some of the greats who were involved in the production of 60 Minutes. You won't know Ira's political views until President Trump sadly.