You can only make so much money in life and only enjoy so many creature comforts. The important thing is to do something meaningful-to leave something behind.

I don't think people realize the extent to which TV networks are hurt when they carry public broadcasting. I think the estimate is that they lose a half-million dollars for a half day's programming.

I want everybody in the news business to think of ABC before they go any place else. If it costs us an extra few thousand dollars to do that, what does it mean?

In the past ABC has made half-hearted efforts or, worse, cosmetic efforts, to do something about news and I wasn't certain about what their real aim was - nor am I now.

But unlike the setup in most organizations, where there's an administrator on top and creative people or doers underneath, I'm basically a doer and I like to have administrative people underneath me.

People also don't care about the daily comings and goings of diplomats and yet we must report it.

Most of what we report from Congress they don't care about unless it affects them directly.

The current wisdom now is that if the three networks are covering the news the same way the difference is the anchor people. I think that won't be true in the future.

I think we have erred on the side of being too conservative so far, to tell you the truth.

I don't think any industry was ever as closely scrutinized and written about and constantly in the public eye as television.

People essentially like local news better than network news.

Does this make us the biggest band on the planet or what?” Burt

If you please God, it does not matter whom you displease. And if you displease Him, it does not matter whom you please.

We wanted peace. We did not care about anyone’s victory or defeat. We just wanted the bombs to stop falling on us.

All we’ve got left to protect here is a system that’s set up to promote the meanest possibilities in human nature and make them look good.

Islam does give human dignity, certainly. The point I wanted to make is that it is great foolishness to try to impose our notions of democracy. They have their own traditions.

If socialism means that we live well, that there is equality and justice, and that we have no social and economic problems, then I welcome it.

I'm 5' 11" as I proudly say - just so I don't have to say six feet.

I thought of the structure as musical. The first piece, for instance, contains the names/subject matter of every person to come in the book. Like a piece of music with themes, etc.

My problem with public sector union leaders, the bosses, has been they stood in the way of protecting the taxpayer.

I'm always doing what I can to look for and just feel out funny things that are happening in the scene and improvise off of them.