KATHERINE GRAHAM: A PERSONAL MEMOIR
By Reese Schonfeld

Katherine Graham was buried on Monday.

In 1980, she and I had a long private lunch during the course of which we promised confidentiality, and in her words, "gave each other hostages."

Since she's passed on, I think that permits me to tell this story.

At lunch, Mrs. Graham asked if I thought Ted Turner would sell Turner Broadcasting to The Washington Post Company and come to work for her as CEO.

I assured her that Ted didn't want to sell, and I suggested that they probably wouldn't hit it off if she became Ted's boss. I said Ted didn't want to work for anybody, particularly a woman.

Looking back I'm not so sure.

From Kaye's point of view, Ted might have reminded her of her late husband, Phil Graham. He and Ted had much in common.

They were both dashing Southerners, they were both domineering, and although Ted hadn't yet recognized it, they were both manic-depressives.

Graham had adopted the role of the courtly Southern gentleman. Ted, onthe other hand, played redneck all the way. But, courtly or redneck, both of them were extremely attractive to women.

It was clear to me that Mrs. Graham enjoyed the idea of Ted Turner coming up to Washington to work for her.

Mrs. Graham asked me about Ted's marriage.

One of the hostages I gave to her was my candid assessment of the state of Ted's marriage, and his bullying of his wife Janey. The subject of Ted's outside love life was also discussed.

Yesterday, I learned that Mrs. Graham had been taken for a tour of the Washington bureau by Ted Turner.

I said to the guy who took them on the tour, "I didn't know that they became friends."

The former CNN guy said, "Mrs. Graham despised him. She didn't like the way he treated his wife."

Would Turner have accepted Mrs. Graham's offer if she had made it?

Despite my opinion in 1980, Ted might have. If he had already evolved his Trojan Horse exit strategy, that is to sell his company to somebody for a very large block of stock, get a board seat, and then convince the board to replace the previous owner with himself, he might have thought that Mrs.Graham would be the ideal buyer. She was a woman, and Ted always thought women were easy to push around.

Anyway, Mrs. Graham didn't go forward and I'm glad.

Nothing good would have come of it.

Reese Schonfeld is the author of Me And Ted Against The World. He founded the Cable News Network with Ted Turner in 1979, and served as its first President and CEO. At CNN, he originated the 24 hour news concept. After leaving CNN, he developed News Twelve on Long Island, Newschannel 8, and the TV Food Network. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Schonfeld received M.A. and law degrees from Columbia University. He can be reached through his website, MeAndTed.com, where Bits and Pieces originally appears. Reprinted by permission.