Chung, Connie 1946-

PERSONAL

Full name, Constance Yu-Hwa Chung; born August 20, 1946, in Washington, DC; daughter of William Ling (a financial manager and former diplomat) and Margaret (maiden name, Ma) Chung; married Maurice Richard "Maury" Povich (a talk show host, news broadcaster, and producer), December 2, 1984; adopted children: Matthew Jay Povich; stepchildren: Amy Povich, Susan Povich. Education: University of Maryland, B.S., 1969; also attended Brown University.

Addresses:

Agent—Alan Berger, Creative Artists Agency, 162 Fifth Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010.

Career:

Broadcast journalist and writer. WTTG-TV, Washington, DC, began as department news secretary, became editor and news reporter, 1969-71; CBS News, New York City, radio and television news correspondent from Washington, DC, 1971-76; KNXT-TV (now KCBS-TV), Los Angeles, news anchor and reporter, 1976-83; NBC News, New York City, news anchor and reporter, 1983-89, cohost of television news magazines, 1985-86; CBS News, news anchor, reporter, and host of television news magazines, 1989-95; ABC News, New York City, television correspondent, reporter, and substitute anchor, 1997-2002; Cable News Network, program host, 2002-03. Harvard University, fellow at Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, 1997.

Awards, Honors:

Certificate of achievement, U.S. Humane Society, 1969, for series of broadcasts that enhanced public awareness of cruelty in seal hunting; Metro Area Mass Media Award, Association of American University Women, 1971; award from Atlanta chapter, National Association of Media Women, 1973; award for outstanding excellence in news reporting and public service, Chinese-American Citizens Alliance, 1973; honorary D. Journalism, Norwich University, 1974; Woman of Distinction Award, Golden Slipper Club (Philadelphia, PA), 1975; named outstanding young woman of the year and nominated for woman of the year, Ladies' Home Journal, both 1975; awards for best television reporting, KNXT-TV and Los Angeles Press Club, 1977; Valley Press Club Award, outstanding television broadcasting, 1977; Golden Mike Award, 1978, for best documentary; local Emmy Awards for individual achievement, 1978, 1980, and 1987; Women in Communications Award, best news broadcast, California State University, Los Angeles, 1979; Mark Twain Trophy, California Associated Press, Television, and Radio Association, 1979; George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award, Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Georgia, 1980, for Terra Our World; Newscaster of the Year Award, Temple Emanuel Brotherhood, 1981; Portraits of Excellence Award, Pacific Southwest region, B'nai B'rith, 1981; First Amendment Award, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, 1981; awards for best evening newscast, Associated Press and California Associated Press, Television, and Radio Association, both 1981; Golden Mike Award, 1981, best news broadcast; Women in Business Award, 1983; Los Angeles Press Club Award, 1983, for late afternoon news broadcast; Media Award, distinguished contributions in the area of communications, Los Angeles Basin Equal Opportunity League, 1983; honorary L.H.D., Brown University, 1987; Emmy Award, 1987, for "Shot in Hollywood," 1986; honorary D. Journalism, Providence College, 1988; honorary LL.D., Wheaton College, 1989; Emmy Awards, outstanding interview, 1989, for interview of Marlon Brando, and 1990; selected as favorite interviewer, "Best of America" survey, U.S. News & World Report, 1990; Silver Gavel Award, American Bar Association, 1991; national commendations, American Women in Radio and Television, both 1991, for stories on AIDS, rape, and breast implants; Ohio State of Achievement of Merit Award, 1991; National Headliner Award, National Conference of Christians and Jews, 1991; Clarion Award, Women in Communications, 1991; Golden Apple Award, National Media Network Film and Video Competition, Edward R. Murrow Award, best news documentary, National Association of Radio and Television News Directors, and CINE Golden Eagle Award, Council on International Nontheatrical Events, all 1999, for a 20/20 report on Roy Smith; Easter Seals EDI Award, 1999; plaque, National Network for Youth, 2000; Media Spotlight Award, Amnesty International, 2000, for reporting on the abuse of young women in Bangladesh; Crystal Award of Excellence, 1999, Gold Camera Award, U.S. International Film and Video Festival, 2000, 1999 Award, Chicago International Television Competition, 2000, and Salute to Excellence Award, National Association of Black Journalists, 2000, all for the investigative segment "Justice Delayed;" Pioneer in Journalism Award, Asian American Journalists Association, 2004.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

Washington correspondent, CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, CBS, between 1972 and 1977.

Substitute anchor and reporter, NBC Nightly News, NBC, 1983-89.

Anchor and reporter, Today Show, NBC, 1983-89.

Anchor and reporter, News Digest, NBC, 1983-89.

Anchor and reporter, NBC News at Sunrise, NBC, 1983-86.

Chief correspondent, American Almanac, NBC, 1985.

Cohost, 1986 (news magazine), NBC, 1986.

Reporter, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS, 1989-93.

Host, Saturday Night with Connie Chung (also known as West 57th Street), CBS, 1989-90.

Substitute cohost, CBS This Morning, CBS, between 1990 and 1993.

Host, Face to Face with Connie Chung, CBS, 1990.

Anchor, Eye to Eye with Connie Chung, CBS, 1993-95.

Coanchor, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS, 1993-95.

Correspondent, PrimeTime Live, ABC, 1997-2002.

Correspondent and contributing anchor, 20/20 (also known as ABC News 20/20), ABC, 1997-2002.

Substitute anchor, ABC Evening News (also known as ABC WorldNews Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, and Peter Jennings with the News), ABC, between 1998 and 2002.

Substitute cohost, Good Morning America, ABC, between 1998 and 2002.

Anchor, Vanished, ABC, 1999.

Correspondent, America.01, ABC, 2001.

Host, Connie Chung Tonight, Cable News Network, 2002-2003.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Terra Our World, Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting, 1980.

NBC's 60th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1986.

Correspondent, The Baby Business, NBC, 1987.

Correspondent, Scared Sexless, NBC, 1987.

David Letterman's Old Fashioned Christmas, NBC, 1987.

Men, Women, Sex and AIDS, NBC, 1987.

Correspondent, NBC News Report on America: Life in the Fat Lane, NBC, 1987.

Correspondent and anchor, Summer Showcase, NBC, 1988.

Correspondent, Campaign Countdown: The California Battleground, NBC, 1988.

Correspondent, Campaign Countdown: The Great Lakes Battleground, NBC, 1988.

Campaign Countdown: Is This Any Way to Elect a President?, NBC, 1988.

Anchor, Guns, Guns, Guns, NBC, 1988.

Correspondent, Everybody's Doing It, NBC, 1988.

Host, "Sarafina!" Words of Freedom … Songs of Hope, NBC, 1988.

Exit poll reporter, Decision '88, NBC, 1988.

Reporter, NBC News Reports on America: Stressed to Kill, NBC, 1988.

Herself (in archive footage), Slaying the Dragon, 1988.

Anchor and reporter, Presidential Inauguration, NBC, 1989.

Coanchor, America on the Line, CBS, 1992.

Donahue: The 25th Anniversary, NBC, 1992.

The 12 Most Fascinating People of 1993, ABC, 1993.

Anchor, Space: Last Frontier or Lost Frontier?, CBS, 1994.

New York anchor, State of the Union: The President, Congress, and You, CBS, 1995.

Anchor, The Whole World Was Watching, ABC, 1998.

Correspondent from Las Vegas, ABC 2000: The Millennium, ABC, 1999.

The Chinese Americans, PBS, 1999.

Intimate Portrait: Lesley Stahl, Lifetime, 1999.

The Great American History Quiz: Pursuit of Happiness, History Channel, 2000.

The Great American History Quiz: Heroes and Villains, History Channel, 2000.

Intimate Portrait: Connie Chung, Lifetime, 2000.

Born in My Heart: A Love Story, ABC, 2001.

Generation Boom, TV Land, 2006.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Host and narrator, Knife to the Heart, PBS, 1997.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Herself, "TV or Not TV," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1989.

Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 2006.

Television Guest Appearances; Episodic:

The Phil Donahue Show (also known as Donahue), NBC, 1985, 1990.

Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1986, 1987, 1988.

The Howard Stern Show (also known as The Howard Stern Summer Show), 1990, 1992.

Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show and Letterman), CBS, 1993.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1999.

The View, ABC, 2005, 2006.

The Colbert Report, Comedy Central, 2006.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2006.

Paula's Party, 2008.

The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News, 2008.

Film Appearances:

Network news interviewer, Brother's Keeper, Creative Thinking International, 1992.

Herself, Orlan, carnal art (documentary), Myriapodus Films, 2001.

Herself, Tupac: Resurrection (documentary), Paramount, 2003.

Herself, Mademoiselle and the Doctor (documentary), First Run/Icarus Films, 2004.

(Uncredited) Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit, and the Era of Predatory Lenders (documentary), Red Envelope Entertainment, 2007.

Herself, Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (documentary), InterPositive Media, 2008.

WRITINGS

Television Specials:

NBC News Report on America: Life in the Fat Lane, NBC, 1987.

Everybody's Doing It, NBC, 1988.

Guns, Guns, Guns, NBC, 1988.

Summer Showcase, NBC, 1988.

The Whole World Was Watching, ABC, 1998.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Making Waves: The 50 Greatest Women in Radio and Television, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2001.

Malone, Mary, Connie Chung: Broadcast Journalist, Enslow Publishers, 1992.

Periodicals:

New York Times Biographical Service, December 23, 1992, pp. 16-48.

People Weekly, June 5, 1995, pp. 50-52; July 3, 1995, pp. 40-41.

Time, May 31, 1993.

Variety, August 27, 2001, p. 20.

Electronic:

American Decades, Gale, 1998.

Other:

Intimate Portrait: Connie Chung (television special), Lifetime, 2000.

Connie Chung

In 1993 when Connie Chung (born 1941) became the co-anchor of the "CBS Evening News," she was the first Asian American and the second woman ever to be named to the coveted post of nightly news anchor at a major network.

Constance Yu-hwa Chung was born on August 20, 1946, in suburban Washington, D.C., to Margaret Ma and William Ling Ching Chung. Her father had been an intelligence officer in China's Nationalist Army who fled his war-torn homeland for the United States in 1944.

Chung earned a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in 1969. Her first job was with WTTG-TV, an independent television station in the nation's capital. Later she secured a job at CBS' Washington bureau, aided in part by the Federal Communications Commission's timely mandate for stations to hire more minorities. In her early years with CBS, Chung covered stories such as the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, anti-Vietnam War protests, and the presidency of Richard M. Nixon.

In 1976, Chung moved to Los Angeles to becom an anchor at the local CBS affiliate, KNXT (now KCBS). She began hosting three news broadcasts a day, and the station went from third to second place in ratings. In 1983, she took a drastic pay cut and moved to NBC where she worked as a correspondent and anchored several shows and prime-time news specials. She also served as political analysis correspondent for the network. In 1989, Chung announced that she would leave NBC for CBS when her current contract expired. Her contract with CBS was reported to be worth $1.5 million annually. Her initial duties at CBS included hosting "West 57th," "The CBS Sunday Night News," and serving as the principal replacement for Dan Rather on "The CBS Evening News."

On June 1, 1993, Connie Chung became the co-anchor of the "CBS Evening News." She became the first Asian American and only the second woman ever to named to the coveted post of nightly news anchor at a major network, traditionally thought of as the pinnacle of broadcast journalism. In addition to her role as co-anchor, Chung began hosting "Eye to Eye with Connie Chung," a popular primetime television news magazine that highlighted interviews with controversial newsmakers, a specialty of Chung's. Her time in the limelight was limited. Her desire for higher level interviews caused a stir with the network and Chung's credibility suffered as she continued to cover the tabloid stories assigned to her. Her 1995 firing from the co-anchor position and subsequent loss of "Eye to Eye with Connie Chung" disturbed many who were pleased to see a woman reaching new heights in journalism. Dan Rather's seeming indifference to Chung's firing fueled the rumor that he pulled strings to have her let go.

Chung received numerous accolades for her work, including three National Emmy Awards, a Peabody, a 1991 Ohio State Award, a 1991 National Headliner Award, two American Women in Radio and Television National Commendations, a 1991 Clarion Award, and in 1990 she was chosen as favorite interviewer by U.S. News and World Report in their annual "Best of America" survey.

On December 2, 1984, Chung married television journalist Maury Povich, host of "The Maury Povich Show," a syndicated day-time television talk show. Their adoption of a son, Matthew Jay Povich, came shortly after Chung's firing from CBS. She has been a full-time mother since her departure from the network, but talks have surfaced suggesting she and Povich will collaborate on a news show, to be produced by Dreamworks Televsion, once his contract with "The Maury Povich Show" runs out in 1997. □