Amanpour Leaving Stint at '60 Minutes'

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050512/ap_en_tv/tv_cbs_amanpour

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"Christiane Amanpour, television's best-known international correspondent, said Thursday she's ending her part-time stint at CBS' "60 Minutes" because the arrangement had "run its course."

Amanpour is continuing as chief international correspondent for CNN.

She had been contributing to "60 Minutes" since 1996, usually four or five stories a year. This season she's done two: a profile of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, and a story about how the U.S. military sent a psychology unit to Iraq to help deal with battle fatigue.

The arrangement with "60 Minutes" "allowed me to report in-depth international stories for a large and important American audience, a mission I am dedicated to," she said in a statement. "But I have concluded this unique arrangement has now run its course and therefore I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract with `60 Minutes.'"

Reached in London, Amanpour would not elaborate on her statement. People close to her have said she's concerned that the type of hard-hitting international stories she's done are not valued as much at "60 Minutes" as they were under founding executive producer Don Hewitt."

has meant that her stories are not as valued as they were when he produced "60 Minutes." Not a good sign --

a fine mind.