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New 'CBS Evening News' Anchor Norah O'Donnell Visits KPIX

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS News) -- Incoming "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell told the staff at CBS Owned and Operated station KPIX-TV on Tuesday that she's a reporter at heart and plans on getting as close to every story as humanly possible.

"Our goal is to take the show on the road as often as we can; not just to cover the election, but big news stories," O'Donnell said during a visit to the San Francisco station this morning, where she met with staffers to discuss the future of the "CBS Evening News."

O'Donnell was recently named the incoming anchor of CBS News' flagship evening newscast by Susan Zirinsky, president and senior executive producer of CBS News. She'll begin anchoring in New York this summer and the broadcast will move to Washington, DC in the fall.

O'Donnell said she and Zirinsky agree on the mission for the broadcast, which is to break news, tell viewers something they didn't know every night and invest heavily in investigative reporting and news-making interviews.

"Most of us already know what the headlines are, but what we don't know are the depths of a story," O'Donnell said. "I think people are craving analysis and depth. We are uniquely positioned to provide that depth."

O'Donnell was in San Francisco following her exclusive interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook. She sat down with Cook following his keynote address at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.

An Emmy Award-winning journalist and leading interviewer, O'Donnell remains committed to delivering original reporting and news-making conversations for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms ahead of the launch. O'Donnell's interview with Cook airs Tuesday night on the "CBS Evening News."

In the wide-ranging conversation, Cook discussed privacy, his relationship with President Trump, Apple's answer to "fake news," and the future of the company. Before taking the anchor chair, O'Donnell has already established a reputation as a trusted voice, scoring big interviews. The sit-down with Cook follows O'Donnell's interview last week with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg.

Looking ahead, O'Donnell assured the journalists at KPIX that just because the "CBS Evening News" will eventually be based in the capitol, it won't become Washington-news centric. Instead, she said, it will give CBS News journalists a unique position from which to cover the world – and not just politics.

"How do you cover a story? You get as close to it as you can," O'Donnell said. "There's a nexus in Washington to just about every important story."

While at the station, O'Donnell met with staffers including President and General Manager Kevin Walsh, Vice President of news and News Director Mark Neerman, and KCBS Director of News and Programming Jennifer Seelig. She also recorded interviews with anchors KPIX anchors Elizabeth Cook and Ken Bastida to discuss the future of the "CBS Evening News."

"I know you guys are #1 in the morning and evening," O'Donnell said, "and we want to be #1."

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