Thirty years ago this was the print ad promoting the launch of PBS’  The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. The program was the first and  only hour-long nightly news broadcast in the nation.

1983 ad promoting the launch of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour / from kpbs.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com

Fast forward to this coming Monday’s NewsHour and the introduction of “America’s Newest Evening News Team”… well,  we’ve come a long way baby.

Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill/ from: PBS, Robert Severi/Associated Press

What a novel idea! Two smart women of a “certain age” co-anchoring a nightly newscast. AP’s David Bauder interviewed the new team. Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff say they were surprised by the response to the milestone pairing of two women heading up a nightly news broadcast. Strangers have been offering their congratulations.

“I’m most touched by young women who stop me on the street and tell me how happy they are about this. I’m amazed at the investment people have in this.” Gwen Ifill / AP interview

In addition to co-anchoring, Ifill and Woodruff have also been named managing editors of the broadcast along with their EP Linda Winslow. Did I forget to tell you? Yup, she’s a woman too.