MIKE WALLACE TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF BROADCASTING

MIKE WALLACE TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF BROADCASTING

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Forget "60 Minutes:" Mike Wallace is about to celebrate 60 YEARS in broadcasting. On July 26, 1939, a 21-year-old Wallace made his broadcasting debut as a newscaster on a Grand Rapids, Michigan, radio station, where he earned $20 a week. Although Wallace briefly considered quitting the low-paying news business to become a products spokesman, he stuck to his guns and rose through the broadcasting ranks until CBS hired him as a correspondent in 1963. Since 1968, Wallace has been a regular on "60 Minutes" and he holds the record for the most consecutive seasons on one TV show: 31 -- two ahead of co-worker Morley Safer. A CBS spokesperson says Wallace will be celebrating the anniversary privately in Martha's Vineyard, but there are no plans to ambush him "60 Minutes" style to get his reaction.

CONTACT: Kevin Tedesco (CBS Press Contact); NYC; (212) 975-2329