TRENTON STRAUBE
| 11.19.2008
STEP ASIDE, JASON BELLINI. ROSS PALOMBO is more than ready for his national close-up. After nearly two decades of breaking news in some of the country’s largest broadcast markets — San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles — Palombo is the new CBS news correspondent anchoring Logo’s ‘365 Gay News.’
A multiple Emmy-winner, Palombo started out behind the camera as a producer, but he soon switched to reporting and anchoring to have more impact on the stories. He’s interviewed Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, but he says the biggest story of his career arrived on Valentine’s Day 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom OK’d gay marriage.
“I was never emotional about gay marriage,” he recalls, “but standing on the steps of City Hall with those gay couples really touched me.”
Now that he’s covering the gay news beat 24/7 for ‘365,’ Palombo is still following the nuptials newsmakers — and with more impact than ever. From his new CBS HQ — two floors above Katie Couric and across the street from 60 Minutes — Palombo has completely overhauled the weekly half-hour news program.
It now covers more than 20 homo headlines in one contemporary, fast-paced format.
“The look is more in line with gay sensibilities — it’s sleeker, more fun to watch,” he says. But that doesn’t mean it’s lightweight.
“It’s definitely a harder news show than in the past,” he explains. “But, we’re delivering it in a more digestible way. Anderson Cooper proved you could be serious and sleek, and we’re proving you can be serious and sleek and gay.”
Openly gay, Mr. Cooper.
PALOMBO IS ALSO PROVING that news can be must-see TV for gays across the country, especially in the center of the gay universe, New York.
“Though it’s a national show — we pull from our worldwide resources based out of CBS news headquarters to create the show — its heartbeat is New York City,” Palombo says.
Each show contains pundits, personalities and segments filmed in the Big Apple.
“For example, I interviewed Heidi Klum during Fashion Week," he says. "Where else would that happen?”
Clearly, Palombo is loving New York after recently moving there. He even landed an apartment near CBS studios and, perhaps more convenient, smack in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen. Does that mean he’ll be a regular in the gay gossip columns? Maybe.
“I love to go out,” he promises. “Meeting people is not just what I do for a living. I do this for a living because I love to meet people.”
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