What About Bob?

CBS's 77 year old Bob Schieffer arguably has the most respected Sunday Morning talk show and he thinks he knows why. 

"There are no anchor antics, no gotcha questions," Schieffer tells USA Today "We're trying to put a new lead on the important story of the week. When I look at (the show's) clips, starting Sunday afternoon, there will be 20 or 30 places you see that include what had transpired in Face the Nation. And it appears with considerable regularity on papers Monday mornings."

"People tend to over-think these Washington Sunday shows, and Bob doesn't, and we don't," says CBS News President David Rhodes. "His whole presentation, his interviews, the people you can expect to appear are really what that Washington Sunday show audience expects."

The show's mission to grill lawmakers in hopes of breaking news hasn't changed since November 1954, when it debuted with Sen. Joe McCarthy as its first guest. "I hate to go against the storyline, but Sunday shows are more popular than ever," Schieffer says. "There are some things that take more than 140 characters to explain."

Schieffer also shrugs off much of the talk about youth movements and the need to jazz up Sunday talk shows with new props and revamped formats. His unadorned approach has worked, and he has no plans to change. As for reports that Jon Stewart was approached about hosting Meet the Press, Schieffer would only say, "I know he's a smart guy."

"People watch the news not to be entertained, but because there's information they feel they need to know about," he says. "I can't change my age. I'm am the age I am. I wish I was a lot younger."

"I don't feel old, because I stay busy," he says. "I just feel very, very lucky. If my life ended tomorrow, I wouldn't feel short-changed."