Why a CBS News veteran’s new YouTube show could be a model for the future

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CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason’s Manhattan apartment is packed with rock and roll memorabilia – it’s like a mini Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

The walls display gold records recognizing hit albums by artists like Adele, Vampire Weekend, Kacey Musgraves, and Maren Morris. A signed photo from Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album cover shoot is also on display, along with a vintage copy of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” album, signed by the lead singer, Bill Medley.

These items are mementos from Mason’s twenty years of interviewing musicians for “CBS Sunday Morning” and “CBS Mornings.” Through his work, he’s given both up-and-coming artists and established legends valuable television exposure. He’s interviewed Bruce Springsteen five times and Keith Richards four times.

Mason significantly shortened lengthy interviews – originally lasting between 45 minutes and an hour – into shorter segments of four to eight minutes. He explained in a recent interview that he began wishing he had a way to share the full conversations that didn’t make the final cut.

Beginning this Wednesday, Mason will host “Alchemy with Anthony Mason,” a new YouTube show that streams every other week. The show will feature detailed conversations with musicians, writers, artists, and filmmakers about how they create their work.

It’s become common for TV journalists to also create podcasts. However, what’s happening with Mason is unusual – he’ll own his YouTube show while continuing his full-time job at CBS News, where he’s worked since 1986. This deal appears to be a first-of-its-kind arrangement.

Mason’s work clearly shows how journalists are connecting with viewers who now prefer streaming services over traditional television.

With more people watching shows online, traditional TV networks are seeing fewer viewers and less advertising money. This is leading to tighter budgets, and is starting to affect how much networks pay news anchors and other on-air personalities. Networks are now searching for creative solutions to keep their stars and bring in new talent.

Letting journalists work on personal projects could become a valuable source of income for them and the news industry. We’re hearing that at least one well-known TV news anchor is planning to start a YouTube channel focused on a specific topic, independent of their current network.

Alison Pepper, who used to work at CBS News and now helps journalists create their own online presence through her company The Briefing Room, believes we’ll see more TV personalities starting their own projects, even as many people continue to watch regular television.

According to Pepper, a key to our company’s success over the next decade will be effectively balancing these two different approaches, building on his work with the Mason series.

NBC News has partnered with tech journalist Joanna Stern, formerly of the Wall Street Journal. She’s joining the network as a chief tech analyst and correspondent, offering reports and commentary. Stern will also continue to run her own digital media company, which creates newsletters, podcasts, and videos, using the Beehiiv platform to handle the technical side of things.

According to Beehiiv’s co-founder and CEO, Tyler Denk, creators need a lot of initial support, but once their systems are in place, it’s mostly a matter of consistently repeating the process to get back to focusing on what they do best: creating content.

World & Nation

I rushed to the Washington Hilton after reports of gunfire broke – what was supposed to be the year’s biggest party instantly transformed into a breaking news event, and suddenly we were all working instead of celebrating. The cameras were rolling, of course, capturing the whole scene as it unfolded.

Mason’s new YouTube show expands on the specialized reporting he’s become known for at CBS News. Throughout his forty years with the network, he’s held many positions, including anchoring “CBS Evening News,” co-hosting their morning shows, covering business news, and reporting live from around the world.

He quickly became the network’s main reporter for music news, and artists even sent him gold albums to show their appreciation, demonstrating how his coverage boosted interest and sales. He also covers the fine arts, interviewing well-known figures like photographer Annie Leibovitz and painter David Hockney.

Recently, CBS News has been posting extended versions of Lee Mason’s interviews on platforms like YouTube, and they’ve become very popular, attracting millions of viewers. This success led Mason to believe there’s a demand for a more complete collection of his interviews.

Mason pointed out that artists like Billie Eilish and Lola Young don’t typically discuss these kinds of topics publicly.

Mason proposed his idea, “Alchemy,” to CBS News, but they weren’t interested. He’s now funding the project himself, bringing on a producer and a social media expert. His brother, who used to work in finance, is managing the business aspects of this new venture.

The podcast, called “Alchemy,” kicks off with an interview with Irish singer Hozier. Creator Rick Mason has already recorded episodes with music icons Paul Simon and Nile Rodgers of Chic. “Alchemy” will be released on podcast apps this fall, and Mason plans to launch a newsletter and eventually find a sponsor to support the show.

Mason is saving money by recording the program at his house. He shared that having Paul Simon in his living room recently was an incredible experience, both for him and his son.

Mason has given CBS News the first opportunity to interview anyone he arranges, and he’s also working to publicize his new project, “Alchemy.” He’ll share video footage with the network if his interview subjects appear in current events. However, he will retain ownership of all the shows he creates.

As Mason points out, maintaining ownership of “Alchemy” is important because it isn’t connected to any upcoming releases or tours, and they hope it will remain relevant for a long time. The series will explore what drives people to create, a topic Mason connects with personally, having grown up with a stepfather who was a portrait artist.

“My interest has always been, ‘Where does this stuff come from?’” he said.

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2026-05-01 13:33