It's time for "60 Minutes" international version

By Paul J. Gough

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "60 Minutes" wants to play even more on the global stage.

CBS News is marketing an international version of the 40-year-old newsmagazine, combining two pieces from the domestic edition with a segment done to the show's standards by a local crew.

"60 Minutes" already runs in about 50 countries in various guises. Australia's Channel Nine, for instance, licenses the ticking "60 Minutes" clock for its own version, but it's not the same show.

"What we've known all along is that so many of our stories translate internationally," said Jeff Fager, the show's executive producer.

He added that each program would be tailored to the country in which it airs, maybe not with stories from that week's "60 Minutes" but perhaps from another time during the season. "60 Minutes" also would control the broadcast and hire the local crew.

So far there isn't an international deal, but Fager hopes there will be one in the fall.

CBS News' plan is part of a strategy to build the brand beyond Sunday nights. That has led to a "60 Minutes" edition on ESPN Classic and a partnership with Yahoo that Fager said led to 70 million streams this past year.

"We're very happy with that but we know there's a lot more we can do online," he said.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter