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Curle, who had been hired as two of
the network's first news anchors, rec-
ommended her for a job as an editorial
producer and booker. Her task was to
quickly find experts and guest speakers
to discuss breaking news stories and
important political and social issues.
"I had no experience and there
were times when I felt like an
imposter," she recalls. But Evans kept
her cool by reminding herself that
everyone was making it up as they
went along. We were all entrepreneurs.
That's how Ted [Turner] wanted us to
think of ourselves. Those of us who
gave ourselves permission to take
chances, toss out half-baked ideas and
see what works, have thrived."
As an executive vice president,
Evans now oversees all of the net-
work's talk shows, the booking and
research departments for CNN's
domestic and international news pro-
gramming, and is in charge of recruit-
ing and developing new talent.
Besides helping choose which jour-
nalists and experts will spar together on
Crossfire or Capital Gang, she has also
created several popular programs,
including TalkBack Live, television's first
interactive, live talk show; Burden of
Proof the first daily legal talk show on
network TV; and CNN & Co., the first
talk show on which women regularly
discuss major news and political issues.
Evans is proud to have helped bring
more women's voices to national
prominence, such as Greta Van
Susteren, the no-nonsense criminal
defense lawyer who co-hosts Burden of
Proof. Evans initially hired Van
Susteren in 1991 to add some gender
balance to CNN's coverage of the
William Kennedy Smith rape trial:
Her straight-talking style and unas-
suming appearance struck a positive
chord with viewers, and Evans found
her legal analysis "clear and concise."
Van Susteren became a prominent pub-
lic figure during the O.J. Simpson trial.
"Greta is so unlike how most peo-
ple expect a woman journalist on tele-
vision to be, that I knew she'd be a
star," says Evans.
Evans' keen eye did the same for
the career of Catherine Crier, a former
judge whom she tapped to be the first
host of her new talk show for women,
then called Crier & Co. Crier, who has
since made the rounds at ABC and
Fox News, now has her own legal talk
show on Court TV.
Evans has a ready answer for a
question about whether or not shows
like CNN 6. Co. ghettoize women's
voices by having women experts dis-
cuss important issues amongst them-

"

selves, rather than alongside men with
similar credentials.
"You can't ghettoize somebody who
doesn't even have a ghetto," she says.
"Women were virtually unrepresented
when we started this. Unless they had
some extremely specialized area of
knowledge, they weren't called on.
Now they're being heard all over the
place. We did that."
Evans points to Secretary of State

ed. She seems to have much sympathy
as an observer, but little mercy as an
executive, for timid women.
Despite the tough talk, Evans
admits that she also struggles at times.
"I still hold back ideas when I think
I'm not sure," she admits. "I don't
want to look stupid."
Her long track record of success at
CNN means that her ideas have hard
currency in the boardroom. "If Gail's
Madeleine Albright, who appeared on
trying to change something, manage-
CNN Co. regularly to discuss for-
ment knows it's not about a personal
eign policy when she was still a profes-
agenda. It because she believes it's right
sor of political science at Georgetown
for CNN," says Tom Johnson, chairman
University. "Now look where she is.
and chief executive officer of CNN.
We've been a major springboard for
He finds her emotional equilibrium
women to other shows, other net-
one of her major strengths. "Gail is a
works and into the political arena."
person who knows how to deal with
While not actively involved in
very complicated personalities," he says.
Jewish institutional life, Evans insists
"She can walk in to the president of
any network here and point out issues
that are troubling her," says Johnson,
"Those of us who gave whom Evans has called one of her main
mentors. "When she sees that we're off
ourselves permission
track, or about to make a mistake, she
prepares herself and the merits of her
to take chances, toss out case and presents it very professionally."
Despite her own success, Evans is
half-baked ideas and see bothered
by the fact that so few
women
make
it to the boardroom,
what works, have thrived."
that only three women number
— Gail Evans
among the CEOs of Fortune 500
companies, where only 12 percent of
that her Jewishness is "present" for her
the corporate officers are women, she
all the time. "It's an inviolate part of
explains.
my life, as is my family. My Judaism is
Her book, which has been in the
mostly about family now, I think, and
top ten on the New York Times best-
less about the organized parts of it,"
seller list, attempts to spell out some
says the grandmother of four.
of the "unwritten rules" of the busi-
Evans, who divorced in March, says
ness world that will help women get
she's not as clear on how her Judaism
ahead.
plays out in her work, but notes, "I'm
Evans believes that men can cry,
a big doer. I guess- that's a part of
yell, be ugly, have affairs and still suc-
Judaism — don't talk about, do it."
ceed, while women simply can't,
In the preface to her book, Evans
because they are held to a tougher,
gives her mom credit for sending her
higher standard. She has little respect
the right messages. She explains that
for the Ally McBeals of the business
though her mother was a traditional
world who "anguish openly about any-
homemaker, she was heavily involved
thing and everything," while "guys
in charity work and lifting up people
wear their game face and try to look as
in need. She had quit a job as manag-
if they're going to win."
er of a chain of millinery stores when
Evans says the key to her success has
she married, "but she never surren-
been her ability to maintain a sharp
dered her drive or her belief in her-
divide between her public and private
self," says Evans. "I grew up believing
lives. Her friend, Jane Leavey, director of
that a woman could do anything."
Atlanta's William Breman Jewish
Evans believes her "don't whine,
Heritage Museum, also sees it that way.
just do it" approach has taken her to
"Gail has an incredible tbility to
where she is at CNN, a company that
compartmentalize and focus," says
rewards risk-takers. In her book, she
Leavey. "She knows how to be present,
expresses impatience with women who
whatever it is she's doing. When she's
don't speak up in meetings, who don't
Gail Evans, CNN executive, she's all
ask for raises, for more responsibility,
business. But when she's Gail Evans,
bigger offices, better perks — and
mother, grandmother or friend, she's a
then carp about it later, when the men
passionate, nurturing woman, zeroing
who do pursue such things are reward-
in on your needs." ❑

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